Consent of the Governed
by TeamAwesomeLives
Summary: With Hydra gone and the Capitol fallen, Marvel should, theoretically, be able to move toward a better future. But the presidential election doesn't exactly go to plan, and our heroes are forced once again to throw their hats into the ring, one last time, to ensure the safety of the country. Even if they'd much rather be done fighting.
1. The Uneasy Peace

**(A/N): Welcome to the final installment of this series! We're going to try to pick up all the loose threads and tie them up neatly here, so strap in!**

* * *

 **Chapter 1: The Uneasy Peace**

* * *

 _May 5_

 _Howlett Manor_

* * *

Most of the kids who had been part of the Tahiti program, as well as the victors, had left the mansion after Logan and Skye's wedding, though a few of them were sticking around. In the case of Kate and Kurt, it was a matter of trying to find their own place for after their own wedding, and in the case of a few of the others, it was just a matter of not wanting to leave their little found family there in Seven.

America and Billy had gone back to Twelve with their little group of troublemakers to try and rebuild there, though not everyone went back to their home districts. Jessica Jones had gone to Eleven with Luke, and Reed Richards had gone to the Capitol to work with the scientists there. And Quill had stayed in Seven with Kitty — though they had moved out of the mansion into a smaller house down the road, close to Groot. Coulson had even left to reestablish SHIELD's command center in the Capitol, leaving those that had stayed in Seven to their own devices.

"It's almost not the same without all the chaos," Kate told Kurt as the two of them were walking through the rose gardens — something they were doing more often the closer they got to the wedding.

"I suppose this was more what it was like years ago," Kurt replied, pulling her a little closer.

"Just wait until the little one gets here. Then it really _will_ be like it was years ago, complete with tiny Howlett," Kate laughed.

"And a doting staff too," Kurt chuckled.

"I suppose we can let them _help_ us play with the tiny, tiny director," Kate laughed.

"Yes, well. Wade now has his pool going," Kurt said, smiling.

"Deadpool's pool," she giggled. "Where did you put your money, anyway? I said it would be a little girl."

"I'm hoping for a girl too," Kurt said. "It would be a perfect fit. Tiny general to the army."

"Exactly," she agreed with a smile, tapping the side of her nose with her index finger.

The two of them walked through the rose gardens for a little while longer before they found the hanging swing where they were supposed to meet up with Scott and Clara, though it looked like those two had beaten them to it by a long shot, leaned back and relaxing in the spring air.

"Are we interrupting?" Kurt asked softly. "We'd be happy to leave you two alone if it's an imposition."

"Not at all," Scott promised as he shifted to stand. "We keep putting this off, anyway, and at the rate we're going, you two'll never find a place before the wedding," he said with a little smile.

"Then lead the way, fearless," Kurt teased.

Scott smirked but took the cue, and the four of them headed into the district proper. "There's a little cabin in the woods on the other side of the district that I've put some money down on," he said.

"That's going to be a long walk to come back to play with the tiny one," Clara said under her breath. "And you know you'll do it."

"I don't mind the walk," Scott said with a shrug. "And it's a really nice place."

"I'm sure it's perfect," she said.

"I just thought we'd start there and work our way back to the mansion," Scott explained. "Quill and Groot are about halfway. We'll find a sweet spot for you two sooner or later."

"I did like the village," Kate said with a little teasing sparkle in her eyes. "The neighbors would be lovely."

"You like all of it," Kurt countered. "As long as there are trees nearby."

"Yes, trees to climb, my Elf to kiss… these are the necessities of life."

As it turned out Scott had found a pretty wide assortment as homes for them to look at. There were a few that had survived the war — but without their occupants. And others that had been vacated as people left one district for another and actually _chose_ where they'd live. Everything from a little chalet in the woods — with a roof that would be very easy to climb up — to a little house at the very edge of town on the far side of the district that sat with a little bit bigger yard and plenty of shade and protection from the north wind.

"There are a few places further out in the woods too, but … in the winter, that would definitely suck," Scott said frankly. "You'd probably be pinned down until springtime — which might sound nice, but it's pretty horrible if you have a medical emergency or run out of food."

"And besides that, we wouldn't be able to see our friends," Kurt said with a little smile.

"That too," Scott agreed. "But I wasn't sure how far up the priority list that was, to be honest."

"With the little one on the way?" Kurt laughed. "You aren't the only one who plans to be walking to the manor regularly."

"Then … let's look at the ones with an easier path to it," Clara suggested. "I know of one a little deeper in the woods, but there is a path that goes right past the garden wall."

"Lead on, lady fearless," Kate said with a teasing sparkle in her eyes.

Clara just gave her a little smirk before she whipped around in almost the opposite direction to lead them through the woods. It really did feel far from town by the time they got to the little clearing. "When the leaves are gone in the fall, you can see the big house," she explained. "So you'd be far from town but close to your friends — but it is still a pretty good hike to get there."

"And there is plenty of privacy," Kurt said with a little smile.

"So … you have plenty of choices," Scott concluded.

"Yes, thank you," Kurt said, nodding Scott's way. "We appreciate the guide. I don't think we would have been able to get everywhere without getting lost just yet; we really haven't spent much time around the district outside of the manor and the Victor's Village."

"I think we might want something between the village and the manor," Kate said with a little nod. "That way, we can be close to Kitty _and_ Logan." She shot Scott a teasing smirk. "Though it won't be central to _everyone_ , Mr. Other Side of the District."

They were joking around, picking at Scott just a bit, when Ella suddenly stopped on the path ahead of them, her hackles raised and a low growl reverberating around them. "Take it easy, girl," Clara almost sang to her low.

Still, it had them a bit on edge when Ella's hackles were still up as they headed back — all the way up until they could hear raised voices.

All at once, Ella broke into a run, and with a curse, Clara followed, running hard to catch up to the long-legged wolf. When she turned the corner near the Victor's Village, it was clear what was going on, and Clara all but snarled at her brother. "Leave her alone, you giant jackass!"

Kitty was nearly toe to toe with Victor Creed, hands on her hips and looking livid as the two of them stood in the backyard of the house she and Quill had moved into in the village. Peter Quill was just behind her looking like he couldn't decide if the better idea was to get in between them or let Kitty shout right back at the big guy.

"You do _not_ own everything you see," Clara shouted with a tone of obvious irritation as she stepped between Kitty and Victor. She put her hands on Victor's chest and began to push him backward. "Just _stop it._ "

"They don't belong here," Victor snarled, though he let Clara push him backward. "They need to go back to wherever the hell they came from."

"Who died and made you king of the hill?" Kitty snapped his way.

Victor glared hard and pushed past Clara, more than ready to backhand Kitty. "You got an awful smart mouth, ya little punk," he grumbled before Clara rushed after him and grabbed him by the ponytail.

"Stop it!" she scolded, though when Victor turned to get after her, she hauled off and punched him hard in the nose. "Go to your house and just … quit being in everyone else's business." She looked deadly serious as she glared at him. "Or shouldn't I be here either?"

"That's not …" Victor finally let it fall before he turned to Kitty. "Don't get in my way, girl. If I see you, I'll make you wish you'd stayed home."

"Aww, shove it, Victor," Quill said, jutting out his chin. "This ain't the Capitol. No one's gonna let you pick on girls half your size anymore."

"Yeah? Ain't you supposed to be sittin' in the Capitol, Mr. Gamora?"

"If I was, wouldn't that make this _my_ district anyway?" Quill shot back.

"Watch your back, Quill," Victor grumbled. "This ain't never been the Capitol's business. Seven is _mine._ " He glared at Quill for another long moment and then shot his sister a look. "I'll come find you later. It seems like we need to talk. Alone."

It took a moment for Clara to figure out how to answer him, but when she did, her expression and body language shifted so quickly that he actually _stopped_ and turned her way as she laid out the rules.

"I see Ma on Sundays," Clara said. "You can talk to me then."

As he looked her up and down for a moment, Ella came to stand at Clara's side, obviously wary of her older brother — her hackles still raised as she watched him leave — and kept staring long after he was gone.

"Sorry," Clara said. "He needs a bell."

"He needs more than that," Kitty grumbled with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Well, it would be easier to be prepared to give it to him if he was wearing the bell," Clara pointed out. She turned toward Quill. "Don't travel alone. Please."

"Yeah, no danger of that anytime soon," Quill promised. "Haven't traveled alone since I left the Capitol if I could help it anyway."

"Well, with a little luck, he'll get irritated and go back to work doing … whatever he was doing and just … _go away_."

"And if not, you can always just tell him off again," Kate said with a smirk.

Clara let out a sigh and let her shoulders drop. "My brothers … don't seem to listen unless you hit them real hard first." She held up one hand. "But Saul worships the ground I walk on. He's a lot easier to handle. I promise."

"Your family's nuts. I hope you know that. And that's coming from _me_ ," Quill said with a little laugh.

"They really are," Clara said with a nod. "I think it's part of the 'y' chromosome to be honest."

"At least in your family," Quill chuckled.

Clara was stroking Ella's ears. "Again, I'm sorry he's such an …. Insufferable pain in the ass."

"He's not your problem, Clara," Scott said with a shrug. "Besides, we've all still got those emergency comms Coulson left us with, right? He comes around, he'll figure out fast he's biting off more than he can chew." He looked around the group. "If that does happen, call us up. He can't take on all of us at once."

"Ye of little faith," Clara muttered under her breath. "He likes to play dirty and have a plan worked out ahead of time."

"Then we'll just have to plan better," Scott told her low. "I've got faith in our friends, _not_ your brother."

"And you, handsome," Clara said leaning closer, "don't know how he fights. Yet."

"Then tell me," Scott said, his arm around her waist as he grinned at her. "I'm a fast study."

"I will," she agreed. "When I know for sure he's not lurking around — or trying to. Ella's still on edge."

Scott almost laughed as he pulled her into a kiss that was longer and more involved than she'd likely thought it would be. "Forget your brother, huh?"

"Well. If that's your solution, alright then," she replied with a smile.

* * *

 _May 10_

 _The Capitol_

* * *

"Well, if it isn't the Xaviers," Hunter said with a grin as he opened the door to let in the little group. "What, do you have mind reading powers? The tea literally just finished."

"Just excellent timing," Charles replied with a friendly smile. "And it's been a while. I felt I had to check in and see how things are going for the two of you."

"Well, Bob's turned me into a right little homemaker," Hunter said, chuckling as David giggled and waved at his favorite playmate. "She can't cook to save her life — which I don't understand. She can measure out beakers but she can't measure out flour." He waved the group of them into the small apartment and closed and locked the door behind them as always. It was one of the little things he'd picked up that made Bobbi feel safer, and the fact that he'd gone with her to the Capitol to give her more or less undivided attention while she healed had her trusting him faster, too — enough to tell him what else he could do to help. Like learning to cook but letting her do the dishes. That kind of thing. "I think there's some kind of disconnect; I really do. No way she can't put two and two together."

"Just a matter of priorities," Charles said with a laugh.

"If you say so," Hunter said, grinning as Bobbi poked her head out from the back room and smiled when she saw that Charles had brought Moira and David to visit as well.

"When did he start doing that?" she asked with a little laugh as the little guy scooted along the edge of the coffee table, holding on to keep himself upright.

"Not too long ago," Moira said with a proud smile."We got tired of waitin' for ye tae show, lass."

"I meant to," she said. "Honestly."

"It's fine," Moira replied. "It's good for th' wee lad to get out."

"Plus, he had to see Hunter again and get spoiled," Bobbi teased lightly as, in fact, her newly-minted boyfriend was already making silly faces with the little guy, getting big belly laughs for his efforts as David tried to copy him. She paused in the doorway to the living room and glanced toward the kitchen. "Cream and sugar, right?"

"If it's not too much trouble," Charles replied.

"None at all since the trains between districts got back up and running," Bobbi said. "Coulson's been sure to give us a good stipend… so we have the creature comforts back, anyway."

"Yes, he and Hill have been sure to take good care of everyone," Charles agreed. He paused and tipped his head Bobbi's way. "Bobbi, I think it's time. I don't think anyone expects you to return to Two, but it's time to try to do more than stay here — as nice as I'm sure it is to have nothing to do but spend time with Hunter."

"I just don't know what I'd do, to be honest," she told Charles with a small shrug as she brought in a tray for them.

"You could continue your scientific research in the Triskellion," Charles pointed out. "Fitz and Simmons are back, as I understand it. They would be safe to start with. And you would be doing real work, not the kind of thing you did with Viper."

"Yes, I think I could work with them," Bobbi said with a small smile.

"Wonderful," Charles said warmly as David positively fell apart belly laughing at Hunter's silly faces so hard it was clear the boy needed to catch his breath. "Then soon enough, we'll be able to start reaching out to others. There are other wounds that need healing, too."

"I've been talking with Sam," Bobbi said. "I know he moved to Eight — there were open spaces for some flight testing he wanted to do."

"That's a good start too," Charles agreed. "I'm slowly asking all of them to contact you, so be prepared for more calls."

"If you could start with Groot and Black Bolt, I'd be much obliged," she smirked.

Moira laughed out loud at that, though she did cover her mouth with one hand quickly as she apologized.

"I'm afraid they'll be seeing you in person once you feel ready for it," Charles replied.

"Sneaky," Bobbi said over to top of her tea cup, though with a smirk.

"Actually," Hunter chimed in, still grinning from playing with David, "we were thinking of popping by Five — just a quick trip to say a hearty hello to the engaged couple before the wedding. We won't stay long, obviously."

"I understand," Charles said. "And I'm sure that Mr. Rogers and Ms. Carter would enjoy the visit, but if you're looking for Quill …"

"How is he, by the way?" Bobbi asked, honestly curious.

"As I understand it, quite happy living close to Groot," Charles said. "I have yet to stop in and see for myself, but he sounds more chipper than I've ever heard."

"Probably on account of the pretty bird he's got," Hunter said with a crooked smile.

"That certainly seems to be a contributing factor," Charles had to agree. "Though he said he wouldn't be leaving any time soon — except of course for the wedding."

"Which one?" Hunter asked with a smirk. "There's two of 'em, as I hear it."

"One of which will be in Seven," Charles replied.

"I want to be there for that one," Bobbi said. "Kate was one of my students."

"She'd love to see you, I'm sure," Charles said. "I'll pass the word on to make sure you have a place to stay."

"Thanks," Bobbi said with a genuinely warm smile. "And what about the two of you? Are you going to stay in the Capitol or…?"

"For now," Moira answered. "We'll have to wait and see where we're to be."

"You know, for all your talking about choosing a place to stay, you'd think you two'd do the same," Hunter pointed out.

"We have a lot of invitations," Charles said. "But we need to go where we can do the most good."

"I guess the work really starts for you after the rest of us are done, doesn't it?" Bobbi asked softly.

"My dear, my work started before the revolution, and I believe that I won't be lacking any patients any time soon."

* * *

 _May 14_

 _District Seven_

* * *

After almost a month of sun and sand, Skye and Logan were finally on their way back. Quartermain had dropped them off at the hangar by the Justice Department, so they were taking their time walking back to the manor. Skye had gotten a good tan at the beach and was in an _excellent_ mood, her arm through Logan's and her head on his shoulder, and he was the most relaxed he'd been in a while.

The walk to the house on the hill was fairly quick, even as he took her through the little side paths off the main road, and when they got into the house unseen, he just had to smirk. "You wanna let 'em know we're back or sneak up to the room?"

"I think … we should just stroll in and sit down to dinner like nothing's changed," she said, matching his smirk.

"Sounds about right to me," he agreed before he gestured for her to go ahead. "After you, director. Lets see if your game face has improved."

"Someone went and relaxed me too much," she teased. "I have the full on zen thing going for me." With that, she strolled ahead of him, looking as pleased as it was possible to be.

They didn't quite make it to the dining room before Mrs. O'Malley saw them, but she at least could keep it quiet as she came over to say hello. Still, it was clear to Logan that there was no way Skye could keep a straight face. "So much for your full zen," he teased. "No game."

"Sue me," she said with a shrug. "I'm having fun."

"Mmmhmm," he said with a little smirk, very quietly. "I'll go first. Try to keep neutral for five seconds."

"You're on."

Just like that, the smirk he was wearing disappeared, and he turned to simply walk in and drop into the open seat next to Kurt as if he was just running five minutes late. He didn't say a word, and Skye very nearly made it past the five second mark before she started smiling. It was hard not to when Kurt was so… taken aback.

Kurt simply wrapped his arms around Logan in a hug once he'd recovered, though, positively beaming. "Welcome back. I trust you enjoyed yourself?" he teased.

"I think it was the kind of place you'd get used to fast, pirate," Logan replied, though he did return Kurt's hug. "The jungle on the volcano was fun."

"Yes, it sounds like it," Kurt laughed. "I would be jealous, but we're going to the beach in Four for ours."

"Ooooh, the beach," Skye said with a grin. "Black sand beaches. It was excellent."

"The only thing missing was the pirates and the high seas," Kurt laughed.

"Oh no, there were high seas," she said.

"Did you sail them?" Kurt asked, his interests piqued.

"Katamaran," Skye replied. "Which … is pretty cool... until you start spotting sharks."

"No, that would make it exciting," he teased.

"How did it all break up after all?" Logan asked. "Is this everyone that's left here?"

Kurt gestured around the table, where the members of Team Awesome, as well as Wade and Cassie and Clint and Natasha, were all enjoying dinner. "This is everyone at the manor," he said. "Kitty and Peter moved into the house next to Groot's — _not_ Creed's," he added quickly. "And then Scott and Clara found a lovely cabin in the center of the district."

"Ought to be a little quieter then," he said with a nod. "Noh set the ballroom right, or is that on the to do list?"

"Of course he did," Kurt said with a wave.

"Anybody usin' it?" Logan asked doubtfully.

"No… well. Natasha occasionally," Kurt admitted.

"Then I'll have it to myself. Most of the time," Logan said with a nod. "Been too lazy lately."

"Not that _I'm_ complaining about that," Skye said with a pointedly wide grin.

Logan smirked her way for a moment before he turned to Kate. "So what'd we miss? Anything fun?"

"Nothing much," Kate said. "Kurt and I have been shopping around for a place to live… Clint and Natasha can't decide if they want to work for Coulson in SHIELD or go into business in the local police forces… the usual."

"Your timing is very nearly perfect," Kurt said. "Steve and Peggy are set to get married next."

"We're all going down to Five together," Kate agreed. "Quill said we could stay at his old place, since it's not like he _used_ it."

"He really didn't," Peter said with a nod. "Poor guy."

"The new place, on the other hand..." Gwen chipped in. "Neighbors with Groot, living with Kitty… that man's in heaven."

"When's the wedding?" Skye asked. "Just … hoping I get to show off my tan." She was grinning wider at that.

"We're leaving in a couple days," Kate said. "And Seven's almost warmed up enough to keep your tan for a little while," she added with a little laugh.

"Well, I'd _hate_ to have to go right back to fix it," Skye said with a dramatically fake put-upon look.

"Oh yeah, I'm sure it would be a real imposition," Kate laughed.

"I mean. Middle of the ocean. No Hydra for … _ever._ "

"Nothing but beaches … which I'm sure you _eventually_ got around to seeing…"

"Well, I didn't get the tan by staying inside," she pointed out.

"I said eventually," Kate replied with a shameless grin.

"Just too bad Fury doesn't have any supplies headed that way anywhere near your wedding," Skye said.

"Yeah, well, maybe he'll need something come Kurt's birthday," Kate said.

Logan laughed at that. "He's not gonna need anything anytime soon."

"And neither will we," Kurt said. "Except for frequent visits to see our friends here."

"I'll make sure you get a key," Logan said.

"You'll have to make several," Peter laughed. "The entire Hudson clan is gonna need, like, twenty."

"I'm sure Heather's taken care of that already," Logan replied, shaking his head. "She had a copy of the key for the log house before I did."

"Sounds like her," Kate chuckled.

"So you'll be coming with, right?" Peter asked.

Logan just looked up at him for a moment. "Probably. Not sure how that might blow over, but ... "

"What, you planning on causing a scene at a wedding?" Kate teased. "Just to break up the monotony of peacetime?"

"Nope," he replied shaking his head. "But just because Steve's alright doesn't mean the rest of 'em in the district are gonna forgive what happened."

"How about: if anyoe gives you flack, I'll deck 'em," Kate said. "Seeing as they can't get mad at _me_ , considering."

"You don't need a reputation, Trickshot," Logan pointed out.

"I don't really care," Kate countered. "Not like I'm gonna be living in Marvel anyway."

"No idea where we _are_ living, unless we're going to keep calling it Seven," Kurt added.

"Well, it _used_ to be Canada," Peter pointed out.

"Leave all that nonsense up to Jean-Paul," Logan replied.

"I'm just wondering what address to put on the invites," Kate laughed.

"Better ask someone that knows then," Peter said. "Clearly, we are woefully uninformed."

"Betcha Scott knows," Kate said. "But he's _disappeared with his lady_." She sat up a little straighter. "And I'm not interrupting that."

"We'll find out later," Kurt said, waving his hand.

"What's the date on yours again?" Skye asked. "Not that .. you know... I'll be busy or anything. Just … to get it straight in my head."

"June 10. You know, _before_ the swarm of birthdays," Kate said, tipping her head Wade and Cassie's way.

"Can't you just order a decree oh, director to be?" Wade called out. "Publicly call out all those that shall attend the upcoming Kart-nuptials?"

" _No_ ," Skye replied a little harshly. "That is not a real thing. It's a joke."

"I dunno; I think it's a real thing," Clint said, tipping his head to the side to study her. "The way Coulson's been training you…"

"Oh, it's absolutely in the works," Logan agreed. "Fury liked it too. Hill..." he tipped his head a little. "Not so much."

"She doesn't get a say in it," Clint pointed out. "Can't influence SHIELD if you're bucking to run the country from the presidential whatever-it's-not-a-palace-now."

"No, no … this was a _joke_ ," Skye insisted. "It started as a joke, and you're all taking this entirely too seriously."

"No," Clint said, half chuckling. "It started as a tease, right? And a nickname that Logan gave you? You know why those stick, right? Because they _fit._ "

"No one can get rid of them," Peter agreed. "Ask Trickshot and the Elf."

"It's pretty much a rule at this point," Kate agreed.

"And you don't hear the rest of us complaining," Kurt teased.

"And even if they _do_ complain, it doesn't stop everyone else from following the Wolvie-approved nickname," Wade added, and when Skye turned to look at Logan, he just raised an eyebrow in response.

"So _not_ the same as a job appointment," Skye laughed.

"It is when Fury _and_ Coulson approve of it," Wade insisted.

"And when Fury calls you 'director'," Logan added.

"Don't worry; no one's pushing you to replace Coulson," Natasha added in a conciliatory tone. "We do like the one we have. And you still have some training to do, particularly on your poker face."

Logan leaned Skye's way slightly to whisper 'Interim', and she elbowed him in the chest for his efforts.

"That's a good color on you," Logan said quietly before he stole a quick kiss and got up. "But … I'm goin' a little stir crazy already. You know where to find me." He gave them a little smirk on his way out of the room, leaving Skye to deal with the well-established picking alone.


	2. It's a Nice Day for a White Wedding

**Chapter 2: It's a Nice Day for a White Wedding**

* * *

 _May 16_

 _District Five_

* * *

Bobbi had arrived ahead of most of the other wedding guests to give her regards to the new couple, and of course, the two of them were nothing but warm to her, seeing as Steve had been there when she'd finally left Hydra, so he knew more or less how she felt about it.

"Come on," Steve said with a crooked smile. "I'll show you around. Take you to Quill's place so you can settle in."

"That would be great, thanks," Bobbi said, with a small smile of her own as Hunter had his arm around her shoulders. "Congratulations, seriously."

"Thanks; it's been a long time coming," Steve replied, his cheer infectious as they kept walking. "So, ah … you two are an actual thing now, huh? Didn't see that coming."

"Well, not everything the Capitol did was based entirely on a lie," Bobbi admitted. "We got along before they forced a relationship on us."

"Might've been something that had happened quicker if we hadn't've been forced into it," Hunter agreed with a shrug. "You know how it is when you try to tell someone what they have to do. Instant brakes."

"Well, you both look happy," Steve said, grinning wider.

"It's nice to see _everyone_ happy," Hunter said. "And not fighting a blinking war."

"I think from here on out, you'll find the war is mostly in the public's eye while Marvel sets up new leadership," Peggy said. "Vying for their attention and their loyalties. To be honest, I think I prefer a straightforward fight."

"Yeah, Charles mentioned that… with everyone trying to choose a leader that _won't_ be like Thanos or Schmitt," Bobbi nodded. "But I have to agree. I don't really care for double-talk these days."

"Then it's a good thing this little affair is upfront," Peggy said just before they arrived at Quill's house. "Nothing subversive here."

"Which we seriously appreciate," Hunter said, nodding.

"We'll let you guys get ready," Steve said. "Relax. We'll see you tomorrow, right?"

"Sam and Peter will be by soon, so enjoy the privacy while you can," Peggy warned. "We were told the victors are all doubling and tripling up in the village."

"Makes sense," Bobbi said. She put a hand on Steve's shoulder. "Congrats again. See you in the morning."

Steve just smiled and put up both of his hands. "Is it okay if I hug you? I know after Hydra, you were understandably touchy about, well, being touched."

Bobbi laughed and closed the distance to hug him herself.

"I'm really glad you're here, Bobbi," Steve said quietly. "Wouldn't be the same without you."

She tightened the hug for just a moment before she took a step back. "Go get married," she said, shooing them with both hands.

"Yes ma'am." Steve grinned before he and Peggy left the two of them behind in the big empty house.

When Sam showed up with Peter and Kitty not long after their exit, the hellos were just as warm, and Bobbi began to build up a little more steam with every smiling face, feeling more like herself around her old friends.

"You're looking much better," she told Quill with a grin.

"Been livin' the good life — away from Marvel, officially," Quill replied with his goofy smile. "Been curled up with this cutie pie more often than anything else. Not a thing to complain about."

"Don't get too involved, or they'll be saying you're next up," Bobbi warned, only half-teasing.

"I've been reliably told that Kurt and Kate are next," Quill pointed out. "And most of the attention after that is focused squarely on the _other_ Peter."

"Has he actually proposed yet?"

"He tried?" Quill said with a shrug. "But it's my understanding the wildlife blew it for him. But don't ask me what that means. Please. Oooh, and after them, my money's on the Creed girl and her … troublemaker."

"Oh, so she's not dating Scott anymore?"

"Ha, no. She is. I just don't know what to call him right now," Quill said. "I was informed that my last nickname for him wasn't … acceptable."

"You could just call him by his name for the time being," Hunter pointed out.

But Quill was shaking his head. "Oh no. That's not ever gonna happen. It's a matter of pride."

"You could always call him Mr. Clara," Hunter offered with a smirk.

"Fitting, but … I have a feeling I'd get corrected again," Quill said.

"By which one?" Kitty teased.

"The scary one," Quill replied.

"But which one?" she asked, the smile widening.

"You know which one," Quill said. "Same one that took issue with the first nickname I gave the kid."

Kitty laughed and squeezed his arm. "I'm just saying: the big blonde is scary too."

"She's not that big," Quill countered.

"She looks bigger when she's facing down her brother."

"Oh, that …" Quill turned to Bobbi with wide eyes and a crooked grin. "That was beautiful. Clara just .. first of all, pushing Creed around? And then she popped him in the nose … just … ah."

"Sounds like you're all set for entertainment," Hunter laughed.

"I'm telling you: the party is in Seven," Quill said. "You gotta come out."

"I'm coming for the wedding," Bobbi said, though she'd lost a significant amount of her smile.

"Great." Quill grinned. "You can stay with us by Groot's place."

"That's got to be the best neighborly arrangement ever," Hunter laughed.

"Real quiet, nice garden view…" Sam agreed.

"Well, it's a little different with Victor in town," Quill had to admit. "But he seems to be trying to catch Logan coming and going. Big meathead."

"It's not like it used to be, is it?" Bobbi said with a small wince.

"I dunno," Quill said. "Probably. He hasn't seen him yet. I'll tell you when they finally meet up. They still hate each other's guts."

"I'd be more concerned if he didn't hate Victor, all things considered."

"Yeah, if that's your litmus test, then he's _fine._ "

"He _is_ fine," Kitty insisted.

"Yeah, same way we're all fine," Sam said with a shrug, which had the victors among them falling silent — until Hunter and Kitty both tried to redirect to talk about the upcoming wedding and lift the mood.

* * *

 _May 17_

 _District Five_

* * *

The field that Steve had picked out was blooming with wildflowers that time of year, and it was simply picturesque. Of course it was. Steve's mom, Peggy's brother, Bucky… they all looked perfect.

Bobbi, on the other hand, looked downright anxious as she sat in the back on the seat closest to the edge. It had been a while since she'd been around this many people at once. She _was_ doing better, thanks to Charles Xavier's help, but it was still hard to erase so much time spent in survival mode.

"You're doing fine," Hunter said at just over a whisper over her shoulder. "No one is going to bother you."

"Almost wish they would," she whispered back to him. "I keep expecting it."

"They don't hate you, Bob," he replied with a little smirk. "How could they? You're wonderful."

"You're very, very biased," she pointed out.

"Don't mean I'm wrong," he replied, turning to face forward. "I can be biased and right."

"I won't argue with you at a wedding."

Not five minutes before the whole thing started up, Bobbi looked over to see Logan slip into the other side of the back row with Skye, though if he saw her — and he had to have — he didn't acknowledge her at all. Skye, however, gave her an almost strained smile and waved her way with just the tips of her fingers.

Bobbi returned the gesture for a moment before she turned back to Hunter. "Remind me again how no one here hates me."

He looked past her to see the couple at the other end of the aisle. "Oh. Him? He's like that to everyone."

"You don't have to lie, Hunter. We were friendly once. I know the difference."

"He'll get over it," Hunter said with a shrug, though it was clear he didn't really believe it himself. "He's … probably just on edge, seeing as he once killed the groom."

Bobbi paused and then smiled despite herself. "I'm not saying that's the only thing happening here, but you do actually have a point."

"Half the wedding party wants to kick his ass, I'm sure," Hunter continued, glad to have found something to latch on to. "I'll bet he bolts before the party starts."

"I thought we were leaving after the big stuff anyway."

"Well yeah, but he won't even make it that far," Hunter said. "What do you bet?"

Bobbi's smile was steadily widening. "Loser gives a foot massage. I say he toughs it out."

"You're on," he said with a nod. "No way is that bloke going to stick through this."

Bobbi smirked. "Weren't you paying attention in the Capitol? He can fake it."

"Don't look it right now," he pointed out.

Bobbi shook her head at that and squared her shoulders, pointedly paying more attention to the wedding as Peggy made her appearance, all but gliding down the aisle to a clearly elated Steve. "We'll see," she said out of the corner of her mouth.

The wedding was exactly what everyone knew it would be — Steve was emotional all through the vows, and Peggy was practically glowing. And when the ceremony was over and the two of them were presented to their families and friends as husband and wife, the crowd followed them out in an orderly manner to the area that had been set up for the reception.

For a moment, Bobbi and Hunter both lost sight of Logan and Skye — and Hunter was already making a face her direction that was so clearly 'told you so' that it was ridiculous.

"Yeah, don't celebrate just yet," she said, scanning the crowd as everyone watched Steve and Peggy's very sweet first dance. When she spotted Skye and Logan, she smirked and bumped his shoulder. "See?"

"We'll see how long they stick around. It's probably mandatory to stay for the first few dances. Coulson'd have kittens otherwise."

It wasn't long after the first official dances, though, that May did, in fact usher out all of the kids and victors to dance, and it seemed that both Bobbi and Logan had the same idea — to get in a quick dance with the bride and groom before it got too competitive.

Steve looked shocked at first — at least on who had led the charge — but he didn't wait long once Peggy and Logan headed out as Bobbi spun in and snatched Steve up from Skye. "We won't be long," she promised before Hunter chuckled and offered Skye his hand.

"The new sparkles suit you, love," Hunter said with a grin as he spun Skye.

"Yeah? You going to take the plunge any time soon? Ooh, do we even rate an invite when you do?" she shot right back with a broad grin.

"If you're interested, then I don't see why not," Hunter countered, not about to rise to the bait — especially when he and Bobbi had only _just_ started dating and he knew they were perfectly safe.

"Oh, absolutely," she said with a nod.

"We would've been there for yours, but no one told us it was happening, and Bob wanted to stay in the Capitol and celebrate the end of the war the fun way," he said.

"Well, no one knew," Skye pointed out. "Didn't even ask the best man or the maid of honor until like … twenty minutes beforehand."

"Yeah, Peter Quill was telling stories," Hunter laughed.

"Which ones?" Skye asked with a crooked smile. "Because some are better than others."

"We got the basic overview of the surprise wedding, complete with description of the one-eyed minister," Hunter told her.

"Oh," she said, nodding. "Then you missed all the other stuff."

"Then you'd best catch me up," Hunter grinned.

She just started to laugh for a moment before she shook her head. "Well,there was a lot of beating on the groom by his besties. That was entertaining. And Wade knocked him clear off his feet. Also fun."

"Sounds like a party," Hunter laughed.

"Well, that's just the reaction you get when your friends find out about a wedding and a baby in one afternoon."

Hunter blinked. "You did _what_?"

"Hey. It would have been more in order if he didn't need to get widowed first."

"Yeah. I heard about the _first_ wedding," Hunter said with a small frown. "Also heard about the widowing, though."

"He was pretty ticked," Skye said. "He tried to get her to sign the papers like a civilized person — but then Hydra got her out of Seven … it was a mess."

"Straightforward way's always best, I say," Hunter said. "And more permanent."

"Oh, she was going to die anyhow," Skye said seriously. "We had a line twenty people deep ready to put holes of all kinds in her. He was just … being … honorable. I guess."

"Sounds about right," Hunter said. "I was on that list."

"Well, you can tell Bobbi that it was harsh," Skye said. "You _know_ it was harsh if Logan would even repeat what happened — it's usually just 'she's dead now'."

"Well, that's the important part anyway," Hunter pointed out.

"The report was _complete_ ," Skye told him quietly. "He even made note of how many times he stabbed her and that … just doesn't happen. I'll bet she _wishes_ he'd have used poison."

"I dunno about that," Hunter said, one eyebrow raised. "I've heard what half of those poisons do from Bob."

"Yeah," Skye said, sounding a little down for a second. "Probably all the same ones Logan doesn't want to talk about, I'd guess."

"Yeah … she tried half of 'em out in low doses on my Bob. Dunno if you should spread that around, though."

"I'll keep it in mind," Skye said. "I won't … share unless it's in defense of her. For the record, I'm on her side. It's pretty clear she felt like crap about everything for as quick as you guys booked it out of Seven."

"She's still half waiting for anyone in the city block to attack her."

"That won't happen," Skye said. "Not from our group anyhow. Don't know about any hidden Hydra."

"That is actually a problem," Hunter nodded. "I'm sure you've got the same issue."

"What? With Mr. Heavy Paranoia? Why would you say that?"

"Oh yeah. The double-checking the locks, the checking each mug for poison…"

"Yeah, all of that," she agreed. "He barely sleeps, still trains almost constantly …"

"We should make a support group."

"Right. Just have to work around my appointments with Simmons."

"Right. We'll meet at your place then," Hunter said.

"Well .. I'm sure you can tell me where you're staying long-term when you come for Kate and Kurt's wedding, right?"

"Oh, sure," he said, nodding. "We might even host you for tea sometime. It's about the only thing Bob can make."

"If she wasn't so paranoid, you could come over our way," Skye said before she leaned closer. "He can actually cook a decent meal."

"That lines up. I get the scientist who can't cook; you get the lumberjack who can."

The song came to an end, and in a few quick steps, the dancers returned to their partners — and Bobbi found herself back with Hunter. "So. That wasn't terrible... but for the record, he's so sticking it out," she said.

"Yeah, I see that," Hunter said, shaking his head as he took her arm. "What about you?"

"I think I've had about enough," she admitted.

Hunter gave her arm a quick squeeze and nodded. "Fashionable exit, then," he teased.

"As always."

On the way out, though, Hunter had to chuckle a bit. "Looks like we're not the only ones takin' the quick route out." A few paces ahead of them, Logan and Skye were headed for the airstrip. "So … he stuck it out, but he didn't. Where does that leave us, and what do I get for news updates?"

"Hmm." Bobbi tipped her head to the side. "I think that means we both win. And it depends on the update."

"It's pretty good," he said. "We _really_ missed a party."

"Yeah, Quill already caught me up on that front," she pointed out.

"Not all of it," Hunter defended. "He left out something very important."

"I thought the Fury as the minister part was the highlight."

"Nuh-uh," he said shaking his head and slowing to a stop so that he could lean in close and whisper to her all that Skye had told him.

She stared at him for a moment with wide eyes before she had to just… shake her head. "I'll have to come up with something good when we get home," she decided. "That… is definitely news."


	3. Throw a Sabretooth in the Works

**Chapter 3: Throw a Sabretooth in the Works**

* * *

 _May 22_

 _District Seven_

* * *

The modest cabin that Scott had decided to go ahead and buy still needed a few repairs here and there, but nothing major. He'd already fixed the small hole in the roof, which was the biggest and most important problem, but now he was working on more cosmetic changes. The front door stuck when it wasn't closed just right, and the windowsills needed a little care, but after a morning of work, Scott was honestly unwinding as he got working on something a little more decorative, carving the outer edges of the doorway in an oak leaf pattern.

A few years from now, this place would be the envy of every other cabin — it was just a matter of pouring in the time and paying attention to the details. And anyway, it had been a while since he'd had a project like this — not that he hadn't been able to do any carving with Tahiti. But there had been nothing he could really sink his teeth into like a cabin.

Clara was there with Ella, having gone out fishing earlier in the day, and when she went by, she made sure to steal a little kiss on her way to start up their dinner, with Ella happily wagging her tail and licking his hand when she followed.

Things were as lovely as they could be as Scott worked a particularly tricky section of the falling oak leaves … where three different leaves converged, twirling around a center point. He was just thinking how nice it was that the tricky bit of carving was the worst of his troubles when he heard Ella growling.

He paused what he was doing to turn toward Ella — just as a seven-foot blonde came up the path and Ella seemed to get more agitated with every step he took.

"Today's not Sunday," Scott called his way with a glare. "And even if it was, you have no business at my house. Go find someone else to bother." As he spoke, he turned the knife in his hand and then deliberately went back to what he was doing, though he went back to finish the edges of a less tricky section that didn't require all of his focus, just fine tuning.

Before Victor could say a word, though, Clara came out, drying her hands on a little towel. "I've got it, Scott," she said as she walked by him and out to her older brother. The two of them were talking quietly, though Victor seemed to get more and more agitated the more Clara shook her head and tried to calm him down.

And then it all happened in a flash. Victor sneered and, in a quick move, simply backhanded her off of her feet.

" _Hey_!" Scott made a beeline for the two of them, positively livid, before he pulled back and punched Victor in the jaw, glaring hard. "Don't you _ever_ touch her again!"

Victor turned slowly to find Scott glaring his way. But before Scott could say anything further — and faster than Scott could react — Victor grabbed him by the neck and pinned him to the nearest tree, his feet not quite touching the ground. "You think you're gonna stop me?"

Scott struggled against his grip, but when Victor realized Scott couldn't get out of it, he smiled cruelly and pressed harder. Scott was starting to see stars as Victor asserted his grip and leaned in a little closer. He couldn't hear what Victor was saying anymore as his vision started to go black around the edges, though he could swear he could hear Clara screaming at her brother to stop.

He couldn't draw a breath, and in a desperate moment, he realized that he still had the carving knife in his hand. He blinked hard, trying to focus...

In a quick move, he jammed the knife down into the radial nerve on Victor's arm. He barely saw Victor's other fist flying his way, and as he raised his arm to stop the hit, he curled himself up and stomped down on Victor's knee.

The monster bellowed in pain but dropped Scott. As Scott gasped in his breath, he felt a brush of fur zip past him. The first thing Scott really heard as his hearing all came back was Ella snarling as she tore into Victor, snapping at his face.

"Are you alright?" Clara asked, at Scott's side in an instant — and sporting a shiner already.

"Fine," he said, blinking back his vision — though the obvious bruises on his neck and the hoarse tone of his voice said otherwise.

There was a little yelp, and the two of them turned to see Ella whining and shying away from Victor — with Scott's knife jammed into her shoulder. Scott whistled to Ella low, though he watched Victor to make sure he was actually leaving before he crouched down and soothed Ella, petting her behind the ears as he glanced at Clara, his questioning expression more than enough when he was still trying to get his breath and voice back.

"I think… we need to see if Dr. McCoy can help us," she admitted. "I don't have anything sterile here."

"Right," Scott said with a little nod as he knelt and gently picked up Ella, glad that Hank was one of the few victors who hadn't found a new home yet.

"Yeah," Clara said, glancing back to where Victor had disappeared. "We should take the more hidden path."

"Yeah, don't want to lead him back to the others," Scott said very quietly.

They'd gotten all the way to the Howlett estate and inside the walls before she finally said anything else. "He doesn't want me sticking around with you."

"I don't really care what _he_ has to say about it," Scott said with real heat to his tone.

"I just don't want you getting hurt," Clara said. "So I'm warning you as much."

"I think we just proved he can't handle all three of us. It's fine," he told her. "I'm just sorry he hit you for it."

"Nothing new there," she admitted.

"Well that just makes me wish I'd hit something more important," Scott grumbled.

She gave him a weary little smile as she held the door open for him to carry Ella inside. Hank hadn't moved his office since the Tahiti kids and victors had taken up residence there, so it wasn't hard to find him as the three of them came in looking worse for the wear — and mad.

"I know your specialty isn't in veterinary medicine, but do you think you could help us?" Scott asked Hank, who looked up and narrowed his eyes on seeing the state of things.

"I can certainly give it my best efforts," Hank replied as he gestured for Scott to bring Ella closer. "And what happened to the two of you? The same beast?"

"Yeah," Scott said, then let out a sigh. "Somewhere out there, Victor Creed's got an axe to grind."

"That does not surprise me in the least," Hank said as he tried to get a better look at Ella's injury. "Leave her here. I'll do my best — and you may want to clean up the cut near your eye, Clara."

"Thanks; I'll take care of that," Scott promised before Hank could comment on his obvious injuries as well, already with one hand on Clara's shoulder to pull her away.

"Are you going to be my nurse?" Clara asked over her shoulder as Scott steered her. "Not exactly effective if I have to tell you where everything is."

"I'll make a go of it, sure," he said with a small smirk as Clara got seated and watched him for a moment as he did his best to remember where the antiseptic and the rest of the supplies were.

It wasn't too long before Hank had just about enough trouble from Ella, though. The wounded wolf was in pain and frankly was nervous without her mistress, but when Clara tried to help him calm her, Ella simply couldn't relax even for her.

"Would you please go find Logan?" Hank said. "He can help hold her down if need be — so that she doesn't associate either of you with any pain."

"I got it," Scott told Clara, since Clara was still staying close to Ella for the time being. He knew the way down to the ballroom anyway, and he figured that's where he'd find Logan, seeing as that's where Logan usually was if there wasn't something going on.

So he wasn't surprised to find Logan getting in some training, some easy kata work in the center of the room. "Can I borrow you? Hank needs a little assistance with Ella — we brought her in pretty hurt," he called out to Logan.

"Sure," Logan replied calmly before he sheathed his sword and headed over to put it on the rack near the wall. "What happened?"

"Clara's brother doesn't approve of her living with me," Scott said with a small scowl. "So he hit her and stabbed her dog."

For a moment, Logan frowned at Scott — especially since he could see the evidence at Scott's throat that Clara and Ella weren't the only ones injured. But aside from a raised eyebrow Scott's way, he didn't say anything about it. "Sounds about right," Logan muttered under his breath. "Can't stand to see anyone happy."

"Well, Ella did a number on his face. He ran off." Scott shook his head. "Anyway, we just need to fix the damage. He sank the knife in pretty deep."

Logan nodded and headed off with Scott — though they managed to pick up Skye on the way, who was tickled to see her favorite Summers but also a bit confused as to what the two of them were doing together looking so serious.

Until they got to the lab where Ella was acting wilder than anyone had ever seen from her. Her lips were peeled back in an honest to God snarl — even to Clara. "Is the knife still in there?" Logan asked Scott as he closed the door in front of Skye, blocking her from entering the room.

"No, Hank managed to get it out," Scott told him.

Logan crouched down to almost eye level with Ella, who had turned their way as they entered the room. He moved forward slow, though it was clear Ella had no interest in dealing with any of them as her shoulder bled freely. She made a half-hearted lunge toward Logan and Scott, and before she could retreat again, Logan shot forward.

There was a quick uptake in the noise level as Ella snapped and snarled at Logan, and though she did bite his hand, he more or less wrapped himself halfway around her so that both of them were just lying on the ground, with Ella's wound facing upward as she continued to try and snap at him. "If you're going to do something — now would be the time, Henry," Logan called out.

Ella was trying to pull that leg free, but she couldn't manage to move it more than a little wiggle, and as Henry knelt down next to them to get started, the snarls melted away to whimpers as the wolf finally showed that she was more scared than anything else.

"You two should step outside," Hank said as he quickly started to clean the injury. "We won't hurt her."

"Just give us a call when you're done," Scott said, frowning after Ella as both he and Clara stepped out — and practically into Skye listening at the door.

"What is even going on?" Skye demanded of the two of them. "What happened to your wolf?"

Scott almost looked tired by that point and just shook his head. "Victor Creed," he said simply and with a little shrug. "He doesn't seem to think anyone should be happy. At all. Ever."

"Okay, but … it totally sounded like she was tearing everyone apart in there," Skye said.

"That's what happens when a wolf is hurt and scared," Clara said. "They lash out."

Skye looked toward the door and then back to the young couple. "So … what now?"

"Now…" Scott let out a sigh. "We wait for Dr. McCoy and Logan to finish up, let Ella heal for a while, and start working on a fence. Preferably electric."

"Right, but … if he's making your wolf go crazy, I would really feel better if you just stayed here for a little while," Skye said. "Ella will get any meds that Hank says she might need …"

"Yeah, we won't go back until Ella's alright," Scott said with a nod. "Not gonna let Creed get a second shot at her."

"Oh, good. Come on, Clara — let's let Mrs. O'Malley know. She was just saying how much she missed you two the other day." Skye gave Scott a little smile as she dragged Clara off. "And you so _totally_ need a break from all that stress."

"That's what we were trying…. Never mind," Scott said, waving the girls off with a shake of his head, which just prompted Skye to break into giggles as she looped her arm tighter through Clara's.

With the girls gone, Scott quietly slipped back into the room, where Ella was still softly whining, though she'd stopped trying to bite Logan or Hank, and Logan was very clearly trying to soothe her, rubbing his face against hers and muttering low.

"Here, let me," Scott offered as he stooped down next to Logan and Ella, gently rubbing the spot on Ella's side that was her favorite.

She still whined, but she relaxed a little bit more, and it wasn't long before Hank was done. "Alright, Mr. Summers; I think it's best if we step back when Logan lets her loose. Just to be safe."

Scott raised an eyebrow but did just that, and when Logan loosened his hold on the wolf, she didn't bolt, instead squirming around to face him better and then lick his face as he sat up alongside her. "She'll be fine," Logan said as he reached out to scratch behind her ear. "She's a smart girl."

"Of course she is; Clara trained her," Scott said with a smirk as he moved to join them.

As the two of them made sure Ella was settled down, Henry came over to take a look at Logan's hand — though when he started to inspect it, Ella started to growl again. "Easy, big girl," Logan rumbled, running his free hand over her head. "He's not going to hurt me."

"Better wash that out," Scott said with a frown.

"I've had all my shots," Logan chuckled.

"Yeah, well the last thing she had in her mouth was Victor Creed, so..."

"No wonder she was so pissed off," Logan replied with a little smirk. "I'll clean up; you might want to take her up to Clara. I'm sure she's worried."

"Yeah, she's with Skye now. I'm sure by this point they're both worried," Scott said with a smirk as he scratched Ella behind the ears and led the wolf to the door, then paused. "Mind if we stay for a bit? Just until Ella's healed."

"Your room's your room, Slim. Any time you want it."

"Thanks." Scott turned back to the door and whistled to Ella as the two of them headed to find the girls.

* * *

 _May 29_

 _Howlett Manor_

* * *

The entire Wagner clan showed up early, ahead of the wedding, not only to help with the preparations but because they were just plain _excited_. Katie Power was giddy with joy over getting to be the flower girl and told anyone who would listen — usually Scott — that she had been _practicing_.

Margali was of course helping Kate with anything she needed for last-minute preparations and decisions, but it was the twins who had an actual assignment from their big brother for the day — and it wasn't actually that simple.

They'd been _told_ to keep Logan out of the hospital for the next two weeks so that Kurt could have a best man at his wedding. Kurt had even explained to them that Logan was mad about Victor Creed — but they just didn't understand the problem.

"Can't you just … ask him not to do anything stupid until later?" Stefan asked, looking confused.

"I have told him that he _can't_ come to my wedding in a full body cast, but every time he sees Ella or Clara or Scott…" Kurt shook his head. "Just watch him, please."

"Well. Do you think he'd be distracted by _private lessons_?" Amanda asked with a broad grin.

"I'm sure he would be," Kurt said with an ill-hidden chuckle. "If you can pin him down to give them."

"What else has he got to do, though?" Stefan asked. "It's not like he has things to do in town."

Kurt just laughed and waved them both forward. "He's usually in the ballroom practicing. You should catch him if you want to demand your lessons."

They shared a smile and darted off toward the ballroom, trying to at least _act_ like they weren't running until they were around the corner — and then bashing into each other as they ran faster and faster. They didn't expect to find him going through his kata, though — something he was doing it more and more often lately, in more challenging ways and in longer sequences.

"Well," Amanda said, leaning against the wall. "That is not exciting at all."

"Not supposed to be, troublemakers," Logan said easily. "Didn't know Thing One and Thing Two were going to be here so quick."

"You kidding? I think if we'd waited any longer, Katie would have _burst_."

"Uh-huh," he said, looking their way only with his gaze as he continued on. "So, what do you want from me?"

"Same as always," Amanda said with a cheeky grin.

"Teach us how best to screw with bad guys."

"Have to clear it by your mom," he replied.

"Already done," Amanda said.

"She knew it was coming, really," Stefan added. "Seeing as we're gonna be spending a couple weeks at your house."

"Sounds like you know what you want to do already. Doubt you need me for it."

"Um, no. _Way_ more fun with you," Amanda said.

"And you still haven't _really_ finished teaching us anyway. We kept getting sidetracked!"

"By what?" Logan asked. "I figured you kept goin' without me."

"Well for one thing, we kept moving… and _you_ kept moving... "

He let out a breath and turned their way finally. "Bring it."

The twins grinned at each other before they rushed him in unison — and it was honestly much better than the first time they'd started learning from him, even better than when he'd last taught them for the simple fact that they had been keeping up with their troublemaking, running bad guys out of Nine that weren't just Hydra even after the war ended.

And like all the times before, he kept them both moving, critiquing them as they went until both of them were out of breath and irritated. "You really want to do this for two weeks?" Logan asked.

"It's something to do," Stefan said.

Amanda nodded her agreement as she pushed her hair out of her face. "And how are we supposed to have the run of the district if we don't get _pushed_?"

"Fine," Logan said. "I start at six thirty. After my run."

"Then we'll be there at six thirty," Amanda said.

* * *

 _June 5_

 _Howlett Manor_

* * *

Kurt took a seat next to Logan with a crooked grin on his face. "You haven't seen my brother and sister anywhere, have you?" he asked as he reached for one of the sandwiches Mrs. O'Malley had made.

Logan turned to look at the clock with a smirk. "Not for a few hours. Lightweights."

"Kate tells me they both fell asleep in the living room, but that was a little while ago. Maybe they'll remember it's lunchtime. Eventually," Kurt said, not bothering to hide the fact that he was chuckling.

"Huh. I'm headed out in a little bit, so they oughta rest up while they can," Logan said.

"Where to?" Kurt asked, still grinning.

"Gotta go check on the cabin. No one's been down there in a while."

"And it can't wait until after the wedding?"

"There are a couple victors that wanted more space to themselves," he replied as if it was a perfectly reasonable request — in spite of the vast amount of space around them.

"Then Quill and Groot can handle it; they've been preparing rooms for the more private people among that group — and you know it."

"It's kind of part of the gig, Elf."

"Logan." Kurt turned to face his best friend a little better. "Honestly."

"What?" Logan replied, pulling off a very convincing innocent look.

"You can stroll down to the one place you _know_ Victor Creed will come looking in _five days from now_. Are you really so impatient you can't give your best friend five days?" Kurt asked, one eyebrow arched high.

"That depends," Logan said, leaning toward Kurt. "How many more babysitters do I need to wear out before you relax?"

"I'm planning for my wedding, Logan. Am I supposed to be relaxed? Especially when the best man keeps threatening to wind up in the hospital?" Kurt asked.

"Have a little faith, Elf," he countered.

"Oh, you would win — but not without injuries," Kurt argued. "And you _will_ be standing there with me."

"You wound me."

"Don't tempt me."

"An' you were just complainin' that I'd get injured walkin' down the street. Come on, Kurt, I'm not lookin' for trouble."

"No, you are only going where you know it will _find_ you."

"Since when did you start thinkin' the worst?"

"Five days, Logan," Kurt said, shaking his head.

Logan gave Kurt a long look before a smile started to tug at the corner of his mouth. "Alright. I'll wait _six_ days. So all the families have gone home."

"Thank you," Kurt said, his shoulders relaxing substantially, though he didn't take his gaze off of Logan.

"You ever find a place?" Logan asked, quickly trying to shift conversation.

"Yes, we had our eye on a couple that we couldn't decide between," Kurt admitted. "Both of them are close enough to both the village and the manor that we would never be far from friends. It's even closer to the little path that Clara likes to take Ella on when they're visiting the Hudsons."

"Good," he said, pushing back from the table to stand up. "Glad to hear it." He gave Kurt a little smirk and started off to the ballroom again.

Kurt shook his head at his friend as he watched him go. At the very least, he'd gotten the time he asked for. But after the wedding… well, he'd just have to wait and see.


	4. The Wedding of Kate and Kurt

**Chapter 4: The Wedding of Kate and Kurt**

* * *

 _June 10_

 _Howlett Manor Rose Garden_

* * *

By the time the day of the wedding rolled around, almost everyone who had been living at the mansion during the war was back — along with their family members. There were a few victors — like Bobbi — who stayed at Groot's place, but for the most part, everyone had taken their old rooms. Even Coulson had come down, leaving AD Melinda May in charge of things for a while.

Kitty had offered the home that she and Peter Quill shared to Kate so she could get ready, and the group of them — Susan, Kitty, America, Natasha, and Amanda — were allowing Jubilee to fuss over them one last time before the big moment. In particular, Jubilee seemed to have fallen in love with little Katie Power, who was _so excited_ to be the flower girl. She _loved_ Jubilee's hair ("It's just like mine! See my ponytails?"), and she _loved_ her purple dress, and she _loved_ Kate's dress, and she _loved_ her new big brother Kurt, which she told Amanda many, many times. ("He played with me and he helps me climb trees!") The other Katie in the room, barely over a year old, was following after Katie Power and copying her every move, enthusiastic laughter and "uh-huh!"s echoing everywhere she went.

The stylists had pulled off a _spectacular_ job with Kate's dress and with the bridesmaids' looks…. Almost as if they'd been planning it for some time and were just waiting for the word 'go.' Kate was sure to tease Jubilee that this was some of "The Line's" best work, and Jubilee grinned brightly at that.

Kate's dress was a gorgeous shade of lilac, of course, and had a high waist and flowing skirt, with a high neck and no sleeves — simple, yet elegant. A black swath of material encircled the waistline, and the excess hung to the side. A silver pendant hung around Kate's neck, with matching earrings dangling from her ears. Her hair was pulled halfway up into a bun, and the rest was curled and hanging by her shoulders. A purple band the same shade as her dress held her hair in place, and a sheet of chiffon was attached to the band, draped over the back of her head.

Amanda's lap was full of little Katie, and with her daughter entertained, Susan had made her way over to fuss alongside Jubilee, plucking at the dress and strands of Kate's hair until Kate swatted at her good-naturedly.

"You two are ridiculous," Kate told them both.

Susan smiled apologetically. "Sorry, Kate. I just — I want it to be perfect for you!"

Kate just laughed. "If you're so worried, go fuss over America and make her stop messing up her dress." She threw a playful glare over her shoulder at America, who was lounging on the couch and tugging at the hem of her dress as if she hated it, but when she saw both Susan and Jubilee looking her way, she raised both hands.

"Woah, hey, no. I'm wearing the stupid thing. That's all you need from me, isn't it?" America looked in particular at Jubilee. "Stay away from me."

"Can't do it. I have a reputation to uphold," Jubilee said as she advanced on her with a brush and a suspicious-looking bottle.

America made a small noise of faked terror. "Are we sure I'm not allowed to hit anything today?"

Natasha smirked at America. "Are you saying you're _scared_ of little Jubilee?"

America glared. "Just had enough of _the Line_ to last me a lifetime is all."

"Like you could ever have enough," Jubilee teased brightly as she set to work taming America's hair — much like she'd done the first time they'd met.

The bridesmaids' dresses were a deep blue, with purple sashes, but each woman had chosen a style that was summery and fun and fit their personality. America's was short and fitted; Susan's was flowy with material sweeping over one shoulder; Amanda had chosen a knee-length tunic-style dress with long split sleeves; Kitty had a floaty, chiffon number; and Natasha had a long, simple dress with a low neckline.

"Hey, Miss Susan?" Katie Power called out suddenly. "How come you're crying?"

Kate turned to look at her sister and waggled a finger at her, biting her own lip. "No ... no. Don't you start. You'll set me off and ruin Jubes' hard work," she told her sister sternly. Then, with a smirk, she added, "And America won't cry, but she'll ruin Jubes' work just for fun."

"I miiiiight," America sang out.

"And I might pull your hair out by the roots; don't you _dare,_ " Jubilee warned.

"You wouldn't do that," America countered. "I gotta look good for the wedding."

"Oh, I absolutely would. _After_ the wedding. But you mess up your makeup and I'm going to have to sit on you and fix it."

America grinned at Jubilee and murmured in a sickly sweet voice, "Promises, promises."

"You are a troublemaker," Jubilee said. "Don't make me come after you."

"She can't help it. It's like a twitch," Kate called out with a grin.

America glared at all of them in turn before she grinned at Jubilee. "I'll play nice if you save me a _waltz_."

"If it'll get you to waltz? I'll save you two," Jubilee promised with a growing smile. "Cross my heart."

"You know I'm gonna hold you to that."

"You better," Jubilee replied with a bit of sass in her tone. "I want a full dance card, and I'm not going to get it with just one dance partner. Especially when he's working the DJ table."

"I'm sure you'll have plenty of options," Kitty laughed.

"You could probably try to talk the best man into a dance or two. His wife has been sorta queasy lately, so…" Kate shrugged. "She's spending the morning _not_ moving until she has to."

"Oh, for sure. Give Logan a few drinks and he probably won't fight it at all," Jubilee agreed. "He's pretty good for a dance or two if you liquor him up a little."

"I remember," Kate said, laughing. She then sighed and took a slow turn in her dress. "Well? Am I all finished?"

Jubilee left America — still partly stunned as she looked into the mirror at her new very slicked style — in favor of giving Kate the once-over. She fussed slightly, more or less just to rearrange a curl here or there and brush out wrinkles that simply didn't exist. "Yes. I think you're ready."

* * *

Over at the manor, similar preparations were taking place. Warren was putting finishing touches on Kurt's tuxedo, plucking at tiny threads and tugging at wrinkles. The tux was strikingly similar to the outfit Kurt had worn for the Reaping all those years ago: black pants, a red waistcoat, a black shirt, and a black coat. A dark blue rose was tucked in the lapel, and a red tie was around his neck. Clint was sprawled on a chair, and Margali was chastising him for the fact that he might be wrinkling his suit, but once Warren had finished nitpicking and moved away, Margali swooped in to mom-fuss over her son. She smoothed a dark curl into place and brushed a finger over the flower in his lapel.

"Oh, darling," she breathed out. "You look magnificent. There was a time when I was afraid I would never see this day, but now I can't believe it's here." She took his face in her hands. "What happened to my cute little baby Kurt?"

Kurt placed a hand over his mother's. "He grew up," he said simply.

"I mean, if what Kate says is anything to go off of, he's still cute," Clint called from the chair.

Margali laughed. "Of course he is. And _please_ sit up, Clint dear; we can only iron your vest so many times." Clint obeyed, sitting upright and tugging at the black vest he wore. It caught the light coming through the window, and a ripple of dark blue flashed across it. Stefan entered the room, carrying a strip of dark blue fabric in his hand.

"Will someone…" He held up the fabric that was recognizable as a bow tie. "I don't know how…" Clint plucked the bow tie from Stefan's hand, and soon, a clean bow sat under Stefan's chin.

"I hope you're a little more willing to wear it today," Kurt joked.

Stefan grinned. "So long as I get to keep it this time."

The front door opened, and Logan peered in. "You guys ready?" He looked almost as groomed as the rest of them, except for his hair. Jubilee had made an "executive decision," as she called it, to leave it be after she got the quick reminder that he simply wasn't allowing anyone to touch his head. Kurt nodded, and Logan opened the door wider. "Then let's get this show on the road, Elf."

* * *

The men took their place near the altar. On the other side, the girls were lining up as well. Kurt stood near Father Lantom — who was getting on in years but was positively thrilled to be there. Matt had managed to find him, though Kurt didn't know how, and Matt wasn't telling except to say that it was a "wedding present."

Nearly the entirety of anyone related to Tahiti had come out, as well as a few others. Kate's friends were sitting in the front where family traditionally sat, and Teddy was already crying, even though the ceremony hadn't started. Billy was teasing him about this but looked like he was going to start doing the same, while Tommy teased them both and kept bouncing slightly and looking behind him like he couldn't wait for the main event to get going. Eli Bradley looked dapper in his new suit, and even Nate Richards, in red, was grinning ear to ear.

Once everyone was more or less arranged, Margali released her hold on her daughter, and little Katie Power took huge handfuls of purple pansies and rose petals and used all the might of her five-year-old aim to chuck them at partygoers with cheerful abandon.

For the most part, the guests were showered in petals from afar, though Bruce Banner took a handful right in the face, and Katie let out a gleeful giggle at his raised eyebrow expression while Jarella chuckled beside him. Once she had finished with what was in her basket, Katie abandoned the basket in the middle of the aisle and skipped happily to hug Kurt's legs before she went to stand by Amanda, who had thought ahead and had a handful of sweets behind her back to get Katie's attention again.

Next came none other than sweet little Josh Hudson, striding carefully down the aisle, clutching a silky pillow on which lay two thin, simple, golden rings with a look of intense concentration.

Finally, Kate came striding in, on Clint's arm, and Kurt's heart skipped a beat. She was beaming so brightly it was easy to see even behind the veil, and it was obvious that Clint was all but forcing her not to run down the aisle at top speed, if the grip he'd taken on her was any indication. As it was, she kept skipping slightly, as if she couldn't quite contain the excitement, and Clint looked like he was either going to burst out in laughter or tackle her to get her to stop trying to outpace him — one or the other.

When Clint placed her hands in Kurt's after he lifted the veil, he was chuckling as he whispered to Kurt, "I think she's excited."

Kurt grinned broadly as he stared at Kate. "I am too," he whispered.

Father Lantom stepped forward. "Friends. Family. Dearly beloved. We are gathered today to witness a union that I believe I speak for most of this assembly when I say has been a long time coming." There was a ripple of laughter across the crowd. Father Lantom nodded to Josh, who held up the cushion to Kurt and Kate. "If you would, my dear boy."

Kurt took a ring and a deep breath. "Kate Bishop," he began. "The day that I met you was in the middle of some of the worst days of my life. You were like a beacon of sunshine against the misery of the Games. You have only made my life better in the years that I've known you, and I couldn't be happier to bring you into our family." He took her hand and placed the ring onto her finger.

Kate was grinning so widely that she seemed to need a moment to remember that she was supposed to say something. She blinked, her grin widened, and she took the second ring. "Kurt Wagner," she said and couldn't stop the slight giggle. "You were just about the only thing that made sense when we were in the Capitol and the arena. And after that, you were the only thing that stayed that way. Every second with you was safe and grounded, and you keep me with my feet on the ground and my heart in the clouds." She bounced slightly as she seized his hand to put the ring on his finger. "Love you, Elf."

"Love you more, my _Vögelchen_ ," he murmured back.

Father Lantom smiled at them. "If there is anyone here who thinks these two should not be wed, speak now or forever hold your peace." There was silence in the garden, apart from the rustling of grass and the chirping of birds. "Then I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may—" Kurt seized Kate around the waist and pulled her close, pressing a deep kiss to her lips. Kate reached up and looped her arms around his neck. Tommy whooped, and that sent the crowd into cheers and applause.

There was a flash of light — Peter had brought his camera, apparently — before the two of them broke apart, grinning. Kate looped her arm through his and allowed him to lead her back down the aisle, this time not nearly trying to outpace anybody as she practically floated alongside him in a grinning daze.

The two of them weren't aware of much else besides each other, and yet somehow, they found themselves seated at the tables the stylists had meticulously set up for them — and no one had to outright direct them on where to sit, though America looked like she was considering just picking them both up and sticking them where they were supposed to go.

There were plenty of guests around them, and someone had started up a game; they'd hit their spoons against their glasses as a signal for Kate and Kurt to kiss. It was a very fun game, though Tommy was banned from playing it after only two minutes.

Kate had just leaned over to kiss Kurt after a pointed look from Kitty and a light glass-tapping when she stopped and whispered, "Oh, I forgot to tell you... I talked to Coulson yesterday when he and Fitzsimmons came in."

"What about?" Kurt asked before another round of clinks brought their lips together again.

"About changing my name." She grinned brilliantly at him. "You know ... make being part of your family _officially_ official. Can't get much better paperwork than the director of SHIELD himself. Expedited and all that."

Kurt's eyes lit up. "Really? You're serious?"

She was laughing delightedly as she nodded. "I thought long and hard about it," she said. "And… well, I like my name, but I think I like yours better." She leaned forward with a little spark of trouble in her eyes. "Besides, the world can only handle one Kate Bishop at a time."

Kitty gave a little cough and looked pointedly at the maid of honor, and Susan was already wiping madly at her eyes as she stood, looking over at Kate and Kurt with a trembling lower lip. "You two are just so _perfect_ ," she gushed before she started to really sniffle. "You just… Ever since Kate left home, I just _knew_ she was safe when she was with you. And when she came back from the dead and you were there, I knew she'd be okay, even when it was really scary most of the time." She let out another loud sniffle before she added, "But you take care of my little sister. That's really all I can ask for. So just… keep doing that, please. You make her happy, and that's really all I wanted." Susan seemed to falter again; she probably had more to say, but she was crying very hard now, and she finally simply sat back down and started to dab harder at her eyes with her handkerchief.

Kate reached over to grasp her sister's arm and smile brightly, and there was a small pause before the small "ow" of someone kicking Clint under the table.

Clint stood carefully and tugged on his vest again, seemingly aware of the wrinkles in it now that there were people around. He gave a rueful grin to the assembled guests and nervously rubbed the back of his head, which only served to mess his hair up. "Well, I mean, gonna be honest ... you two've been together basically since I met you? There were a few days in there when we were being screwed with in the Games, but I don't count those, really. All I know is I woke up and I'd never seen Katie so _happy_ , so once I was sure Kurt was a good guy, that was it, really."

He cleared his throat a bit. "Met him after the whole being dead thing, and he was real patient when I gave him a hard time. So… Anyway, kiddo, you got my blessing from pretty much day one, and I'm just glad you caught up to the rest of us, 'cause we've all just been sort of waiting around for you two to just tie the knot already. It was a sure shot — couldn't miss." He grinned at the two of them, a slow grin that just kept going, and then sat back down.

Kitty stood up next. "Kurt, we've been friends since before we could walk. I've watched you grow up with me, and I know you better than you know yourself sometimes. When I saw you two in the Games together, I could tell how much you cared for each other; and when I finally met Kate in person, I knew you were the right ones for one another. I don't know how much I believe in fate, but something was working hard to get you two in the same Games — and I'm so glad it did." She took her seat.

"Kurt here is the only person I ever met that didn't need to get to know me before he looked me in the eyes like a man and treated me like one. It didn't matter that we were completely different, and it didn't matter that we were bein' staged to kill each other from the get go. But I knew from the start that he was gonna end up bein' my best friend. He never once treated me like a damn animal — which is more'n what I can say for most folks I knew here." Logan took a breath and then smirked at the new couple. "And Kate … she really wasn't much different. Had a helluva lot more self preservation than the Elf did, but it was pretty clear from the word go that she was set to look at the brighter side and have faith that it would all work out." Logan took a deep breath and looked perfectly serious as he watched them for just a moment. It was obvious Kate was on the verge of crying — and Kurt's eyes were shining too. "The two of you always were the heart and soul of our little group, so it's only fitting that you both have finally gotten together and made it official. You deserve nothing but the best life has to give — and I think everyone here will agree with me when I say we're all lucky to know you and that we're all proud to count you as part of our family. Congratulations. Both of you."

There was a smattering of sniffles and slight applause and a lot of glasses clinking — and both Kate and Kurt were pretending that they weren't blinking more than the usual amount as the air hung heavy with emotion.

Kitty eventually directed them on where to go after that, taking her duties as unofficial organizer very seriously. She sent off the guests and made Kate and Kurt wait so that they could make a "proper entrance" once the reception got into full swing. Noh fussed a bit over Kate's makeup and tried to get her to sit up a bit straighter so that her veil would fall just right behind her, while Warren seemed content just to touch up Kurt's hair and try to flatten out his suit, especially the places where Kate kept grabbing him by the tie — which had come untied at her efforts — to kiss him dramatically. When they were both declared suitable for presentation, the two stylists finally set them loose... though not before Noh had kissed both of their cheeks.

They entered the completely re-decorated ballroom to loud applause and cheering, and both of them were blushing as it seemed an entire rebellion's worth of people were determined to wish them both good cheer. Jubilee had been sure to set up a little DJ station for Noh, who rushed off to get the dancing started.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Noh declared, "I give you Mr. and Mrs. Wagner!"

Kurt held Kate's hand high as they made their way to the center of the crowd, twirling her around. She laughed delightedly as he led her through the gentle steps of a dance, careful not to tread on her dress. While at first they swept across the floor in a dazzling waltz, as the song progressed, they slowed down, and Kate placed her arms around his shoulders and stepped in closer as their circles became gradually smaller until her head found his chest and they simply swayed to the final beats. When the song had finished, she looked up so he could kiss her, and everyone burst into applause again.

They walked to the edge of the dance floor, where Kurt relinquished Kate's hand and offered his to his mother before leading her out as Noh started another slow song.

Kate looked fondly on as Kurt took his mother out onto the dance floor and was surprised when there was someone at her shoulder. "May I have this dance?" Coulson asked, a twinkle in his eye, and Kate positively beamed at him.

He was a surprisingly good dancer, too. He led her out to dance with one hand and a smile that seemed too wide to possibly be a Coulson smile. Coulson didn't say much and simply led her through the dance, allowing her to just … try to remember what it felt like. Having a dad for just a few minutes. A real one.

Partway through the dance, Kate couldn't hold it in anymore and simply flung her arms around his neck and stopped dancing, just holding Coulson in a long hug, because she needed to hug him. That's what needed to happen. He tightened his hold on her into the best hug she'd ever had from a superior officer — which was what she'd tell people later — before he kissed the top of her head.

Kate was pretty sure Coulson's eyes were shining when the song ended and he escorted her over to where Kurt and Margali were to officially hand her off, but when Kurt took her hand, she decided it wasn't important to tease Coulson, because there was Kurt to dance with again, even as Noh, who was DJ-ing, invited anyone who wanted to come dance out to join them all. Kitty took the initiative and rushed out onto the dance floor as Noh switched to a fast-tempo song, pulling Peter Quill behind her.

Almost no one was surprised when Clint was the next one to take that invitation to heart, though they were likely surprised by his choice in dance partners when he all but seized Amanda around the waist and lifted her out with him before twirling her into a dance. Stefan looked very nervous at the _huge_ smirk that Natasha got on her face when she looked his way after watching Clint spin Amanda, but she simply pulled him by the hand anyway until he was dancing with her — and it was clear that she was leading.

"They're playing a song for us, Jubilee," America whispered once a slow song started, a huge smirk on her face as she held her arm out for the stylist to take. "And you said I'd get a waltz."

Noh just waved them both off. "Go, have fun. I have plenty I need to do here, and you did promise her, after all."

America just grinned and led Jubilee out to dance near where Billy and Teddy were already joining the steadily growing crowd. America wasn't necessarily a graceful dancer, but she could pick Jubilee up by the waist to turn her and keep her from being stepped on when some of the more _energetic_ dancers like Kate's friend Tommy got too close.

The song had hardly finished before Noh arrived, having set the playlist in motion and now wanting to join the dancers. "Might I borrow you, Jubilee?" he asked. "We simply must get more dancers out here."

She looked toward America for a moment. "I'll be back," she promised before she took Noh's hand.

At first, the two of them spun out into the dancing area like a normal set of dancers — though with far more polish and a few more lifts and twirls — but it was clear they were edging their way toward the outskirts, where several people were content to watch the goings on without participating. Which was, of course, unacceptable to the two of them.

The first to fall prey to their machinations was Peter, who was seized by both of them at once; they each took one arm. Gwen didn't need to be seized and simply followed along behind Peter as he protested being dragged out, but by the time they were in the center of the dancers, all Noh had to do was spin him around once so that he all but fell into Gwen's waiting arms, and Gwen took it from there.

"It seemed a shame to allow her to continue _standing_ when there was _dancing_ to be done," Noh informed Jubilee with a huge grin. "Who shall we liberate from their state of being a wallflower next?"

She looked around the room for a moment until she found their next mark. "Oooh. The spiderling and his sweet little marvel of a girl." Jubilee was already nodding to herself. "It must be done."

"If it must be done, then it shall be," Noh said, his tone solemn but his eyes twinkling.

This time, the participants were a little more unwilling, as neither of them wanted to get out and dance like Gwen had. Noh and Jubilee had resumed their quick dance across the floor, but they broke apart a few feet away from their intended targets as Jubilee grabbed Miles by both hands to try and drag him out, while Noh simply swept Kamala up into his arms and kept right on dancing with her without pausing.

"Miles!" Jubilee chastised. "Even Peter's dancing!" She yanked on him hard, and finally, he broke down and simply went with it. She gave him a quick how-to before she and Noh shared a look and made sure their sweeping paths crossed so they could spin the their partners together and rush off in search of other wallflowers to pick, leaving Miles and Kamala to very awkwardly dance together as only two teenagers who don't know _how_ to dance could do.

"Sorry," Miles muttered as he tried to turn Kamala, but she just shook her head.

"You're doing great," she assured him and steadfastly ignored the _huge_ grin on Peter's face when he and Gwen got closer to the dancing couple.

"Yeah, almost as good as your bigger spider brother," Pete said with a grin before he tipped his head Miles' way and mock whispered.. "Stay close and watch Gwen. She can show you how it's done."

The dancing and good cheer continued until the sky finally started to darken, and Noh called for the men in the group to come to the middle of the dance floor — anyone who wanted to play. Kate was brought into the middle of the circle of guys as Noh informed Kurt of the rules: he had to try and get his bride back, and the guys would keep dancing with Kate in the meantime until Kurt could win her back. With a few competitive Tahiti kids, this was definitely going to be a challenge.

Peter surprised everyone by getting to Kate first, and the two of them started up a hilarious sort of hop-skipping dance as Peter tried to get her further away from Kurt. He spun her into Tony, and to the surprise of a few people, the two of them fell easily into a waltz, well-practiced from the simply fact that they had both grown up a little higher-class than most of the others. Halfway through the waltz, the song turned more upbeat, which seemed to prompt Clint to step up and practically lift Kate in the air as he did.

Kate was a little purple blur as she was passed quickly around the dance floor, while Kurt did his level best to dart into the group of laughing guys. Tommy took her for a spin three times, but only for enough time to get her dizzy before he handed her off to the next person. Matt stepped in after Tommy's third spin, and he seemed almost to be guiding her on purpose in Kurt's direction before Sam stepped in to whisk her the other way. And once, Luke Cage saw Kurt getting dangerously close and simply picked Kate up and threw her in the air in a lift.

Kate was red-faced and giggling from all the spinning and dancing when Logan stepped in."You look like you could use a little break, Trickshot."

She beamed at him. "Well, then, it's good you're here to rescue me."

He just gave her a little smirk and kept her occupied, though he made sure to give her a chance to catch her breath. She giggled every time he swept her back away from Kurt, a little smirk on his face. He'd let them drift nearly to Kurt. almost close enough to touch, then whirl her away — getting more giggles from Kate and a broad grin from the Elf until Logan finally gave her a quick peck on the cheek and twirled her right to him.

Kate was well out of breath by then and simply kissed Kurt on the cheek, still grinning and giggling, and Kurt held her there for a second before very slowly spinning with her in a small circle for the rest of the song Noh was playing. When the game was finished, the two of them moved to sit down and catch their breath while the rest of the guests went back to dancing for a bit — while Jubilee and Honey rushed off to go get the cake.

With the war over and the districts able to trade supplies more freely now, the cake truly was something to behold. It was elegant, tall and white, and the best part was the little figurines on top — one with a three-pointed pirate hat and the other in a sweeping kind of dress that would have fit that era. Both had tiny little swords, and Kate giggled at the display.

They both took hold of the knife and carefully cut out a triangle of a small piece, and Kurt eased it into his hand. There was a lot of icing… He took one look at the cake in his hand and then dragged his index finger along the outside of it until there was a good buildup of white and blue and purple before he smeared it across Kate's cheeks and nose.

She looked surprised for only a second before she grinned at him and whispered, "It's on." He wasn't fast enough to keep her from snatching the rest of the piece from his hand, and she simply smashed the whole thing into the side of his cheek. They didn't actually get to taste their cake until they'd cut a third piece, as the second was similarly sacrificed.

The night was growing darker outside the window as Noh called for any young woman who was unmarried to please enter the floor. Kate grabbed her bouquet and took a look at the assembled girls behind her, taking careful note of who was where. After all, she had _very_ good aim. She caught Bobbi's gaze as the far end of the group of girls, and even though it had been a long time since they'd hung out, when Bobbi smirked and tipped her head toward Kate's intended target, Kate barely kept from laughing. She turned, biting back the smirk, and tossed the bouquet with such precision that it would have been nearly impossible for Gwen _not_ to catch it.

When she did, she looked up in surprise and then caught Peter's gaze — and Peter looked just as red as the tee shirts that he liked to wear as he just sort of shook his head, while all of the girls burst into giggles at the sight of it. It was, after all, no secret that the two spiders were almost-engaged anyway.

When the girls had settled down, someone got a chair for Kate, and the boys were quickly assembled as well for the garter toss. Kurt was already slightly pink as he knelt down, but he turned an even deeper shade when Clint called out, "Uh-uh. No hands!"

Kate, to her credit, was a pretty rosy shade as well but giggling madly as Kurt raised his eyebrows at her. She lifted her skirt a few inches in invitation, and Kurt took it, disappearing underneath and reappearing only a few moments later, the thin piece of lace in between his teeth and his face red as a cherry. Kate's cheeks were similarly fiery, but she was laughing now, too. Kurt closed his eyes and launched the garter like a rubber band into the small group of young men. He heard a whoop from Tony and opened his eyes to see him winking at Gwen, who did not look pleased.

Kitty was moving now, getting people organized in two little lines that made a space for Kate and Kurt to move through and handing out little spheres filled with glitter that Jubilee had made. The lines extended all the way to a jet that Clint had prepped for them with big, purple, chicken-scratch writing that, if you looked at it sideways, read, "FINALLY MARRIED."

Kate and Kurt were fairly well covered in glitter — and so were most of the guests — by the time they made it to their getaway jet, and even when the hatch closed behind them, they could still hear the hooting and hollering from outside.

Kate slid easily into the pilot's seat, though she had to work around her dress for a moment to get properly settled, and grinned over at Kurt. "Where to, oh husband of mine?" she asked.

"Set your course for the beach," he told her. "We were promised sand and surf — and high seas!"

* * *

Of course, the party hadn't stopped simply because Kate and Kurt were gone. Once the newlyweds were seen off, Noh started the music back up again with abandon, and the dancing resumed — though not quite as many people were out on the floor this time, as some of them had started to pair off and a few victors, like Bobbi and Peter Quill, were heading back to Quill's place for their own little reunion and celebration.

Clint and Natasha were still out dancing, Natasha's arms wrapped around his shoulders and Clint's around her waist as they moved in slow circles in a corner of the floor. They talked at low whispers that no one else could hear, Clint watching her lips carefully as she spoke.

The spiders had retreated back to being wallflowers without the threat of Noh and Jubilee forcing them to participate now that it was more of an after-party. Kamala and Miles had dragged a few chairs off to the side and were sitting together holding hands as Kamala rested her head on Miles' shoulder and looked like she was ready to fall asleep after all the excitement.

Gwen still had the bouquet and was grinning as she and Peter moved off to find somewhere quieter and more private. "It doesn't _bother_ you, does it?" she teased him as she waved the bouquet around.

"Me? No," Peter said quickly and tried to pluck the flowers from her hands. "I knew you were a good catch."

"Oh, there's so many layers to that sentence," she teased.

"That's not what I — I mean yeah — but that's — I meant — you catch well."

She just laughed. "C'mere, Peter," she told him and kissed him so he'd stop talking.

The party at last started to wind down as a few people got to work cleaning up — though that only meant even more people were starting to break off to find some privacy. Logan and Skye had found themselves a nice corner somewhere and snuggled in. Jarella had even grabbed Bruce by the hand and led him onto the dance floor earlier in the night, and when Clint and Natasha were the last to leave as Noh packed up his things, the two of them saw Jarella leading him down the hall toward her room.

The transports were loading up, but Clint paused for a moment. He squeezed Natasha's hand in his and whispered, "Hold up. I gotta do something real fast," before he ran back toward the remaining partygoers. He was looking in particular for two blondes… Yep, there they were.

The twins were leaning with their backs against the wall, sitting on the floor and watching the last of the twinkle lights being taken away. Clint bounded over to them with a huge grin, and when they saw him, they couldn't help but match it.

"Hey, fellow blondes," he told them, offering a hand to each to pull them to their feet. "Welcome to the family ... sorta, tangentially. Your brother's stuck with my… whatever Katie is. So that makes you sorta kinda hawks."

Both of them laughed, and Stefan asked, "Does that mean you're teaching us how to shoot things?"

"Maybe." Clint said. He grinned at both of them. "Anyway, realized I couldn't let you both go without a hug, so c'mere." With that, he enveloped them both in his long arms and pulled them in by the shoulders. When they had both joined in the hug ... that's when he shook out all the purple glitter in his hair from Kate and Kurt's farewell, and both of the twins laughed as their faces were covered in the stuff.

"See ya 'round," he told the now-sparkling kids, giving them both a two-fingered salute before he scampered off back toward the transport.


	5. Don't Go Looking For A Fight

**Chapter 5: Don't Go Looking For a Fight**

* * *

 _June 11_

 _District Seven_

* * *

The families had finally headed out, and the pandemonium of the day previous was starting to settle down as Logan headed for the back door by the kitchen. He had every intention to simply slip through the back way, down to the Victors' Village and 'check' on the house.

He was only to the stone fence when he realized he had a tail. He stopped and turned to spot Scott standing there. "You have work to do?" Logan asked.

"Yeah. Thought I'd go down to the Victors' Village," Scott said with a smirk. "I heard there was a problem with unwanted visitors."

"Huh," he replied. "Funny. I haven't been down there in a while."

"Yours isn't the only house down there," Scott said. "And Quill's been talking about pest control."

"I was referring to the unwanted visitor — not the house."

Scott rolled his eyes. "Right."

"Well, don't let me stand in your way," Logan said, already plotting out a different path to take.

"You and I both know we're after the same thing, so if you can stand it, let's just go down together."

" _You_ want to make sure the cabin's stocked?" he asked.

"No one believes that's what you're up to."

"Well that's what I'm doin', believe it or don't," he countered.

Scott rolled his eyes at that. "Yeah. Sure. Then consider this a favor to me, since _I'd_ like to finish Ella's work on Victor Creed. Think you could stick around and flush him out with me?"

"You better take a number for that," Logan replied. "But the best way to get him to come out is to just be available and look like you have anything better in the world to do than talk to him." He gestured openly. "So. Stocking the cabin."

Scott shrugged up one shoulder and swept a hand toward the path. "Visiting Kitty."

Logan shook his head and let out a breath before he started down the path. "I don't need a babysitter, Slim."

"That's _not_ what I'm trying to do," Scott said. "He came after Clara. He stabbed my dog. And he's not gonna leave us alone."

"True, on all counts," Logan agreed.

"And to be perfectly honest, I'd rather just get this whole thing out of the way. I don't want to imagine what he'll be like if she's more than just my girlfriend."

Logan didn't outwardly show any reaction, though it took some effort to keep from smiling at him for that. "Then do me a favor: if it goes down, keep out of the way if he's got a weapon and watch his right. He's a lot faster than should be possible."

"Yeah, I noticed," Scott said.

They didn't run into a bit of trouble — though when they hit the main road, they hadn't gone more than a few blocks before Clint came running up behind them.

"We're stockin' the cabin and splittin' wood, right, Slim?" Logan called out as Clint got closer. "No trouble. We got it."

Clint was outright laughing as he caught up to them. "Oh yeah, I totally believe that," he said, not even trying to keep a straight face.

"Hey. It's true," Scott said, but when Clint gave them a _look_ the two of them stopped and turned to face Clint.

"Scott, when's the best time to stack wood 'round here?" Logan asked as the pair of Seven natives took on a unified front.

"After the rain stops in the spring … early summer," Scott answered — completing the look as the two of them stared Clint down.

"See? Wood," Logan said before the two of them turned back around and kept walking.

"Well that's a shame," Clint said, undeterred as he caught up. "I was hoping for trouble."

"There _will_ be an axe," Scott offered. "Who knows what might happen."

"Sounds like a party," Clint said.

"Too many people in this right now," Logan muttered. "Someone's gonna get hurt."

"I know this one. Victor Creed, right?" Clint said with a grin.

Logan and Scott shared a look but didn't say anything as they headed to the house and let themselves in. To Scott's surprise, Logan dove in doing exactly as he said he was going to do and started buzzing around the place. "Axe is outside. If you want to start splittin', either of you…"

Scott and Clint shared a look before Scott shrugged and headed around to the back of the house to find the axe — while Clint decided to head down the street and bug Quill, since the two of them always got along, and he was pleasantly surprised to find both Kitty and Quill sitting outside enjoying some quiet time.

"Mind if I join you?" Clint asked, and Quill laughed and gestured for him to take a spot under the tree with them.

After a while, Logan came outside to give Scott a break, though it was that much more ridiculous to see that he was serious about the wood splitting.

It wasn't until after the two of them closed up the house and started to head out — with Logan carrying his wolverine pelt over his shoulder — that Creed finally showed up, startling both Quill and Clint when he seemed to appear out of the woods.

"What did I tell you about bait?" Logan said out of the corner of his mouth to Scott.

"Did you hear me arguing that?" Scott shot back just as quietly.

"Course not. Even _you_ won't argue with me when I'm _that_ right." Logan raised his voice as he addressed Victor. "No reason for you to try and start somethin', Vic. All things considered, you should just turn your sorry ass around and leave."

But Victor had no intentions of dragging it out as he threw the bag he was holding at Scott and lunged forward to start the fight with Logan.

As with just about every other time they'd ever clashed, as soon as Victor made his move, Logan darted forward into the fight to meet him — and the first hits were audible for everyone there, cracks of knuckle on bone and fists to flesh.

And proving Logan right about not being able to keep a fair fight, it was Creed that pulled a weapon first.

He'd drawn back his arm as he held a knife to stab Logan when Scott grabbed up the nearby axe and threw it, just missing Victor — though the axe did take part of the blonde mane with it as it passed.

Creed roared out a curse Scott's way and bashed Logan out of his way to head toward Scott, who was waiting for him. Before he could reach him, though, the monster stumbled as Logan launched himself onto Creed's back and hauled his head backward with one hand. The other, with claws shining, was ready to jam Victor in the face.

The others were stepping out of the splatter zone when a tall, skinny blonde blasted out of the trees and tackled Logan off of Creed's back, freeing up Creed to head for Scott.

But Scott had been waiting for Creed, and as Clint and Quill finally caught up from around the back of the house to help Logan with the new guy, Scott waited until the right moment and swept Creed's legs out from under him and then stomped down on Creed's arm to dislodge the knife.

Creed let out a growl before he grabbed Scott's ankle rather than try to get back up to fight him, and with one smooth movement, he'd pulled Scott's feet out from under him to knock him on his back where he could pounce and pin Scott to the ground.

Victor got in a few good hits that sounded just as bad as they felt before Kitty intervened with a well-placed kick breaking Victor's nose. She quickly followed up with a punch to his throat forcing him to let go of Scott entirely.

The newcomer, meanwhile, was scrappy — and quick — and while he wasn't much of a fighter, he dodged incredibly well. Once he was a few steps from Logan, Quill couldn't help himself. "What the hell is wrong with you? Helping _Victor Creed? Are you nuts?"_

But it was pretty clear that the guy had really only shown up to even the odds — and keep Logan away from Victor while he got his revenge on Scott. "This isn't the fight," Logan growled out as the new guy whipped a knife his way.

"Of course it is," Quill argued, but just then, Kitty let out a little yelp as Victor got closer to nailing her.

"You sure about that?" Logan barked out as he effectively ran the newcomer over to rush to Kitty's defense. She was good — but she wasn't up to taking on Creed toe to toe. Shining metal glimmered in the sun as Victor pulled his hand from the inside of his coat pocket. His hand was arched high, and he had just started to draw it down when everything happened at once.

The metal lion's claws Victor had sang as they whistled in the air — and Clint's arrow twanged off the bowstring, creating an odd harmony. Logan managed to knock Kitty out of the way, and Victor spun away from both of them, only to turn with the spin — and use the momentum to drive a punch into Logan's center mass that knocked him off his feet. Logan slid a solid six feet before he came to a stop, unmoving as Clint and Quill finished screwing around with the kid — who now had an arrow in him — and ran forward to help their friends.

Clint fired a small explosive arrow into Victor's path — not big enough that it would much affect their friends but enough to temporarily steer Creed toward Quill as the other blonde victor in the fight drew back and laid into Victor with a punch to the gut that was very satisfying and an uppercut that came with a "Been a long time coming" before Clint called out to Quill to take a step back. Dancing out of Victor's grasp, Quill did just that a second before Clint's electroshock arrow hit Victor and sent him to his knees.

It put Creed at the perfect height for Quill to kick him in the side of the head and knock him out, and he grinned Clint's way for a second before the two of them rushed to check on the others. Quill went to Kitty, of course, but seeing as Scott had already dragged himself to Logan, Clint only had to go to one place for the other two.

When he got there, Scott looked distressed, and not just from the damage Creed had done him. He was checking Logan's pulse and glanced up at Clint with as serious an expression as Clint had ever seen — which was saying something. "We've got to get him breathing," Scott said, and Clint frowned as he dropped down next to the two of them to see that, yeah, there was a pulse, but it looked like Logan simply wasn't getting air.

"Alright, gimme a little space," Clint said, all but shooing Scott before he started up with the rescue breathing. Both Quill and Kitty had come over by the time he was a couple breaths in, and neither looked anywhere close to okay as they watched the scene unfold.

"Oh crap," Kitty said, wide-eyed. "We broke him."

Clint had to shake his head at the sentiment but didn't say what he was thinking as he kept on working, though even he had to admit after a couple minutes that it didn't look good.

But finally — _finally_ — Logan did take a breath on his own, the rest of the group let out a collective sigh of relief, and Kitty rushed over with wide eyes.

"We should get him to Hank," Scott said — blatantly ignoring the fact that he was pale and black and blue underneath the blood on him as well.

"Yeah, I got him," Quill said, stooping down to pick up Logan. "Let Old Hawkeye get his breath back — and Kitty'll get you to Hank too, Million Dollar…" He glanced at Logan. "Scott."

Scott raised an eyebrow at the change in name, but he had turned his attention to where Victor Creed _should_ have been instead — intending to suggest Clint and Kitty help him get him restrained.… But the blonde was already gone.

"Don't even think about it, Fearless," Kitty said as she picked up the discarded pelt that Logan had dropped and crossed her way over to Scott. "Come on. You should tell Clara what happened before she comes looking for you."

Scott frowned toward the trees for a longer moment still before he finally let out a breath. "Yeah. Alright."

To no one's surprise, once he took a look at Scott and Logan, Hank made an executive decision. "Both of them need to stay in bed — until further notice. And the way the two of them are going, that could very well be next spring," Hank said with a frustrated tone. "Scott has suffered a broken collarbone, and Logan ... " Hank let out a sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. "...is lucky he started breathing again at all, quite frankly."

"But he'll be alright?" Kitty asked anxiously.

"If he allows himself to fully heal, yes, he should be fine."

"Well," Skye's voice said from the doorway as apparently she and Clara had come down to investigate — with Natasha behind them wearing an expression that told the others she'd clued them in. "If he's on bed arrest, I can help with that," she said, trying for a tease but instead ending up looking severe.

"As soon as he's awake, I'll personally escort him upstairs," Hank promised. "We should be able to keep him drugged for a few days, though I hate to give him too much and depress his breathing at all." He turned toward Scott. "This one, however.… Take your pills or I'll show Clara how to shove them down your throat."

"I don't think she needs the help," Scott said with an attempt at a little smirk.

"D minus, Scott," Skye said. "I thought Kurt said to keep him _out_ of the hospital."

"Right, because we planned on losing," Scott said dryly.

She crossed her arms. "The losing, no. The stupid attempt to fight with him? Yes."

"We would've been fine, but he had a sidekick," Scott insisted.

"What are you talking about... sidekick?" Skye asked, frowning.

"Skinny blonde kid. I used to see him around the district in the Lumber mill. Followed Creed like he _liked_ the guy."

Skye's eyes widened a bit, and her mouth dropped open. "No," she said. "Does he look like … if Creed never had a sandwich? In his life?"

Scott turned her way and snorted out a little laugh. "That," he said, "is an accurate description."

"Yeah, I think I know who you're talking about," she said. "Little creep by the name of Kyle. Even his name sounds skeezy."

"Oh God," Clara said, looking uncomfortable as she wrapped her arms around her middle.

"You've met him?" Clint surmised, one eyebrow raised.

"He followed my brothers around like a lost puppy dog," she said. "He hit on me once."

"I'm sure he learned fast," Scott said, though he was frowning.

"I would hope so. I broke his hand," she said, shaking it off.

"Yeah, well, we'll break more than that next time," Clint told her with a shrug. "The kid surprised us, that's all."

"Yes, well. Enough with the plotting and planning," Hank said. "If you plan to continue, take it outside."

Clint shrugged at that as he threw an arm around Quill's shoulders, and the two of them headed out with the others, leaving Clara with Scott. And as for Clara, she looked ready to do just as Hank had suggested and shove some pain meds on him.

"You," she said, glaring up at him once they were well clear of the labs, "will _not_ make me force those down your throat."

"Your bedside manner is horrible, honey," Scott said with a small smirk.

"And another thing, Mr. Summers," she said, blocking his path and looking deadly serious. "Promise me you'll keep away from my brother."

"Clara, you can't ask me to make that promise," Scott argued. "You know he's going to keep poking his nose into your business — _our_ lives."

"You don't get it," she said, shaking her head. "There were _three_ Creed boys. He killed our oldest brother for fun. Do _not_ cross his path."

Scott frowned hard at that revelation and put a hand on Clara's arm. "I'm not going to try and take him on myself, alright?"

"Well, don't go with Logan either. Just don't."

"So it's alright if he gets hurt? Not me?" Scott countered.

"I don't know why those two hate each other so much, but it's not going to end until one of them dies," she said, gesturing toward the door to Hank's lab. "And you tell me which way it's weighted."

"That's why I wanted to go _with_ him. Can you imagine if he'd been alone this time? Kyle and Creed ambushing him?"

Clara shook her head and let out a sigh. "It would have been Quill then, wouldn't it?"

"Maybe," Scott said. "But you can't tell me to let him try and do this on his own when it ends up like this." He gestured to the same door. "We had him beat, knocked out. He just got in a good hit on Logan; it was just one good hit that knocked his breath out. Won't happen again."

"You can't know that for sure," she said. "And he's swinging those stupid lion's claws around, too. I've seen them."

"Next time, I'm bringing a gun. I'll ask Mac for one of the Sentinel guns. They had a few laser-powered ones…"

She tipped her head to the side. "He did say he had a special taser made just for Victor …"

"Then I'll get that one," Scott said with a nod.

"Bring someone that's not such good bait next time," she said. "I swear, that guy has a neon sign flashing on him."

"That's kind of the point," Scott pointed out.

"Scott … if you die on me, I'll never forgive you. My brother is _dangerous_."

He stopped and turned her way, shook his head, and pulled her into a kiss. "I'm not going to die on you," he promised.

* * *

Kitty and Quill only hung around long enough to make sure that Logan was alright and that everything was all lined up for their friends.

Even if he wasn't saying so, Scott looked a little bit shaken. He'd _have to be_ after going toe to toe with that blonde monster. But once they were all settled in and it looked like Logan was only a little bit worse for wear, the two of them headed out of the Howlett estate arm in arm and very quiet.

Kitty had finally relaxed after being so shaken that her favorite teacher had very nearly died in front of her. "I think I'd like to just … maybe check on Groot," Kitty said, but when they turned the corner to go into their little house, it was immediately apparent that something was very wrong. There was a curtain dangling at an odd angle — visible from outside — and when they came into the house, it was clear that someone had positively destroyed the place.

Everything was upended. The contents of all the cabinets had been ransacked. Furniture was shredded and turned over, thrown across the room haphazardly.

The young couple shared a look, and it wasn't even up for discussion. "You think Logan would mind two more at the big house?" Kitty said in a small voice.

"No way would he tell you no," Peter said. "Or me, for that matter."

They took a few minutes to gather up a few changes of clothes before they headed right back to where they'd just left — though they did take the time to talk to Groot, who insisted he'd be fine on his own. He had, after all, been dealing with Creed and the Victors Village for years.

Peter was sure to keep an arm around Kitty's shoulders the entire walk back, holding her close and protectively — but thankfully, there was no sign of the big blonde menace, though they didn't relax until they were back inside the walls of the mansion grounds.

Peter swore under his breath as they came up on the front doorstep, and when Kitty glanced his way, he shook his head. "I just hate that he's getting away with it," he told her low.

Kitty popped up on her toes and gave him a gentle kiss on his cheek. It was clear she was shaken from what had happened, so he turned her way and broke into a little laugh and spun her around in a kiss.

"Screw him, Kitty," he told her with a smile. "We got a room all our own in there."

* * *

 _June 12_

 _Howlett Estate_

* * *

When Logan finally started to stir, he turned his head to find Skye curled up with her head on his shoulder and one arm draped across his waist. He gave her a little kiss on the forehead and sucked in a sharp breath when she tried to give him a squeeze.

It was pretty apparent that Creed had done some substantial damage from that hit. "That's … new," he breathed out.

"That's what happens when you let him hit you hard enough to _make you stop breathing_ ," she pointed out. "Hank says he bruised some _organs._ How do you bruise _organs_?"

"I guess by gettin' hit hard enough," he replied, though he did look incredibly sore as he tried to get comfortable. "I was pushin' Kitty out of the way."

"Yeah, she said as much," Skye agreed. "But that doesn't mean you're expendable, mister. I would _like_ to keep you around." She let out a breath and carefully readjusted how she was curled up with him — avoiding the obvious, almost black bruising on his torso.

He covered her hand with his and turned to steal a kiss. "I'm not goin' after Creed any time soon."

"So you learned a lesson? Really."

"Sure, and I'm crap in a fight right now. Gotta fix that before Vic actually follows through and kills me."

"How.…" She stopped and shook her head. "You are _not_ crap in a fight."

"Sure I am," he replied. "I went into that with nothin' goin' for me — back up included. I wasn't focused. Let my anger get the better of me. If Ogun was here, he'd agree. I _deserved_ what I got."

She looked taken off-guard for a moment and slowly pushed herself upright. "I'm … going to go get Hank. I think you have a concussion if you _actually believe_ that you deserved almost dying. You're just lucky that Clint kept a cool head and resuscitated you."

"Oh, God," he grumbled, covering his face with one hand as Skye finally cracked a smile.

"I'm serious. Stay there. I'm getting Hank."

"I'll be here when you get back," he promised. As soon as she left the room, though, he worked his way onto his feet and crossed the room to where her laptop was always up and running. He put in the password to hop on, and a moment or two later, he'd sent a message to Coulson. He was nearly back to the bed when Skye returned with Hank.

"Hey! You're not supposed to be out of bed, mister," she scolded him as he dropped onto the mattress, clearly stiff and sore. "I leave for five minutes…"

"Like I could stay still much longer," he countered.

"Then tell me you've got the wiggles and I'll help you with that," Skye said, rolling her eyes. "The fun way."

He glanced down at the bruises. "Really."

"I'd be careful," she said with a smirk. "Better than you wandering around all…"

"Walking. Across the room. You probably couldn't even see what I did," he teased.

She rolled her eyes again and dropped to sit next to him. "Can't you just be a good patient for a little while? So you can get better faster?"

"I've been in bed," he defended. "I'm not leavin' the room, an' I'm not workin' out …"

"Hank…" Skye looked toward the doctor.

Hank let out a sigh and came closer to check Logan over, focusing on his eyes for a moment. "I'm afraid he isn't saying anything too out of character," Hank said. "And I don't think there was a head injury..."

"There's gonna be if he keeps this up," she grumbled, though with no real heat to her tone.

"Stay in _bed._ " Hank glared to emphasize his point. "At least until the bruising lightens to something less worrisome."

"We'll get one of Coulson's horrible movies or something," Skye said.

"Oh, come on; you didn't say you were gonna torture me," Logan replied.

Skye smiled widely. "Well, you _are_ fighting me."

He looked totally put out. "I'm _not_ fighting you."

"Prove it." She pulled the covers over her legs as she made herself comfortable. "Be a good patient. For once in your life. For me."

"You're askin' me to burn up the _one_ time to be a good patient?" he asked with a smirk. "Before all hell breaks loose? Really?"

"Well, you never did it during the full-on freaking _war_ , so I figure this is my shot," she teased.

"Fine," he replied before he leaned back oh, so carefully.


	6. Playing a New Game

**Chapter 6: Playing a New Game**

* * *

 _June 15_

 _Howlett Manor_

* * *

For the most part, Natasha and Clint were content to do their own thing. Technically, they were residents of the mansion along with everyone else, but the truth of it was that they spent most of their time not _in_ the mansion itself but out on the grounds. It was summer, the weather was perfect, and there was plenty of space for a good spar.

And when they weren't sparring, they were _trying_ to relax.

Neither of them was too comfortable with continuing to work with SHIELD now that the war was over. Coulson was wonderful, and he was sure to make a great director… but this was the same SHIELD that had missed it when Essex took kids for himself, that had let Bobbi stay in Hydra way too long, that hadn't even been able to keep Victor Creed from _Fury's_ private hideaway.

They talked about it often, just trying to figure out what they would _do_ with themselves. They didn't even have to do any lead up — one of them would just pick up where they'd left off, and they would go from there.

Natasha had just pinned Clint, kneeling with one knee on either side of him as she smirked down at him, leaning forward until she was close enough that she could have kissed him if she decided to.

"You see the newspaper Mrs. O'Malley put out with the coffee this morning?" Clint asked, not moving out of the pin as he grinned up at her.

"I always read it once Logan's done with it," Natasha said. "It's nice to have the creature comforts."

"Yeah, that's the first sign of peacetime, right there. Newspapers."

She rolled her eyes at him. Neither of them had moved, and he was still pinned that way in the grass, Clint's arms stuck underneath her knees, his own body weight used against him. "What was the part that stuck out to you — the horse race coverage of Hill and the two former victors with their names in the ring... or the third-rate no-name with a cult following?"

"Well, I _was_ gonna say that this Jameson guy seems to have it out for Hill, but I like your description too."

"I've read the files," Natasha said softly. "He's not mad at Hill. He's mad at SHIELD. Bobbi Morse. Hydra."

"Yeah." Clint watched Natasha's face for a moment. "He's not a big fan of victors, either."

"I don't think he likes anyone," Natasha said with a smirk. "Did you have a point, Hawkeye?"

He laughed at that. "I'm just saying ... I know Fury said something about giving Hill some support. I'm just trying to gauge… you know, it's not like we're the most popular Tahiti kids. Careers. Killers. Would almost be better to speak out for Osborn and slow him down. I mean, couple of trained killers like the guy? How good can he be?"

"I think you're underestimating how much people like you — and Kate," Natasha pointed out. "You were never a Career."

"So do we do something?"

"Do what, Clint?" She shook her head. "I thought you were tired of playing SHIELD's complicated games."

Clint sighed and leaned up to steal a kiss. "Well, not everyone can live in paradise with a gorgeous girl. Some people still live in Marvel, and I don't want to see someone like … like Pete or Miles … or Bobbi... or someone end up stuck under another dictator."

"Stryker and Osborn combined don't have the staying power that Maria Hill does. Or even Erik Lensherr, for that matter," Natasha assured him.

"That sounds suspiciously like optimism, Nat."

"Well, you're the one painting storm clouds, Clint."

"Early morning pre-coffee thoughts," he replied, and she rolled her eyes at him.

"Then is that what you want to do? Go back to Marvel?"

"No." He shook his head. "No, let's stick around here. At least until this whole thing with Creed is resolved." He smirked. "Politics suck, but the guy with the pointy claws is a bigger danger. At least in the immediate future."

"That and your favorite Hawkeye is going to be living here."

"Yeah, that too." He grinned at her. "I dunno ... maybe we could work something out with Mac. Help out with security, policing… there's gotta be an honest job for a coupla crooks like us, right?"

"I'm sure," she replied before she lowered herself the rest of the way to kiss him in the grass, and the ongoing conversation came to yet another stop.

* * *

 _June 19_

 _District Eight_

* * *

Jessica Drew nodded to the security guards on her way through to see her old mentor and fellow victor. Norman Osborn was doing actually pretty well with the election — mostly because the rest of the country hadn't gotten a chance to know him, and he _was_ convincing with the classy businessman approach. You know. If you didn't know he was a psychopath.

But she also wasn't going to turn down an invitation when he called her up and asked for her "advice." It was a fairly transparent ploy, really. None of the victors or Tahiti kids had wanted to step back into the public eye except for Norman and Erik — and she knew he'd love for her to make a public appearance with him. He'd said as much in several messages.

But sure, if he wanted to ask her the same question in person, she would give him the same answer in person. She wanted to get a good read on him anyway, try and gauge what kind of power trip he thought he was on.

But she certainly didn't _trust_ him, so she'd told Coulson to monitor her as best he could. There was some serious security throughout most of Eight — part of Norman's schtick was that he had been able to protect "his" district during the war with his technological prowess… and to some extent, that was actually true. But it also meant that SHIELD didn't have any eyes on what Osborn was up to — yet another reason she'd agreed to meet with him.

She glanced around the green-decorated offices on her way up to the suite. Osborn had started living in his Oscorp building — where the security was strongest — and while she'd heard that rumor, she was a little surprised that it was so true that there was a fully equipped dining room that could have been called a banquet hall. A table that could seat a hundred, and there were only two place settings down at the far end.

Jess' hand went to her pocket almost unconsciously. She had contacted Bobbi... she knew her friend really didn't want to talk about poisons and antidotes anymore, but the truth was, Bobbi _knew_ what to look for. And Jess had come prepared with what Bobbi promised her would cover most of the basics, though if there was anything custom-made, Bobbi made no such promises.

She wasn't sure if that was an issue, but Jess liked to be prepared.

"You know," she said as she walked the length of the table, "I know it looks impressive, but it just ends up feeling empty after a while when you have this much space and no people."

"I'm not sure I agree, Miss Drew," Osborn replied. "The space is comforting, I think."

She shook her head as she took a seat. "Don't get me wrong; I like solitude as much as the next person. I think it's the chairs." She shook her head and then turned his way. "What can I do for you?"

"I'd like to talk to you about the upcoming election," he said, gesturing for her to have a seat. "I'm sure it won't come as a shock when I say I'd like to have your backing. I'm sure I could find a place for you in the administration if you're in the market for something to do."

"I'm really flattered, but I thought I was clear: I don't want to get involved," Jess replied. "If you want advice, if you want to chat, that's fine. But I'm honestly enjoying being part of the district. Just living."

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed," he said, though some of the friendly facade had already slipped away. "But … certainly, I can respect that. And yet I asked you here for advice... I'd be a fool to say no to your strategizing."

Jess nodded the slightest bit as she ran a finger along the rim of her cup as if she was considering things. "You know Maria and I got along during the war, Norman. She's as close to a friend as I think it's possible for her to be."

"That really isn't much of an endorsement either, Jessica," he said with a little chuckle.

"Well, nobody's perfect," she said, smirking as she took a long drink — after her cursory check hadn't shown anything lining the cup. "So what is it you'd like my advice on?"

"Perhaps 'advice' is a bit too strong of a word," Norman conceded. "I guess … after spending all those years trying to watch out for you, and then not knowing for sure what had happened to you for the duration of the coup has left me a little concerned. Particularly with all those nasty rumors flying around about brainwashing and what not. Are you … yourself, Miss Drew?"

"More so than I've ever been since my Games," Jessica told him without dropping his gaze.

"And would you tell me otherwise? Are you free to do that now?"

"Norman," Jessica said, her eyes slightly narrowed as she leaned forward, "believe me when I tell you that nobody has been telling me what to do for a long, long time now."

"Good, good," he said, relaxing his shoulders as he sat back. "After everything that was being said, you really can't blame me for being concerned."

"It was never my problem," she told him. "And everyone who had to face it has been fully restored to their own minds. Don't worry; no one's out there with a broken mind."

"Can you tell me how Peter is?" he asked. "I always did like that boy."

"He's doing just fine," Jessica said. "As far as I understand, he's just seen three good friends married off, and he's settling back into a normal life."

"Oh?" Norman said. "Who?"

"Actually, Peter was close with Steve Rogers," Jessica said. "You remember that wedding in Five, don't you? And of course, it was _obvious_ Kate Bishop and Kurt Wagner were going to get married the _second_ a ceasefire happened."

"I suppose that's true," he replied, nodding thoughtfully, though he was quiet for a good long time. "Good for them."

"The war's _over,_ Norman. There aren't any brainwashing cells or Hydra plots to uncover anymore — at least, nothing that the local police can't handle themselves."

"I certainly hope you're right," he agreed before he put on a much more believable smile. "Then how about, for the sake of my sanity, you join me for dinner? I promise I won't bring up anything sensitive."

"You don't have to walk on eggshells," Jess said as she pulled a napkin into her lap with a prim smile. "You and I worked together long enough — you know if I don't like it, I won't answer you."

"True, but I don't want you to feel like I asked you here simply to pick your brain," he replied. "Two way street, Jessica. Please, feel free to ask whatever you like as well. I'll do my best to indulge you."

Jessica nodded thoughtfully as the food and wine arrived, waiting until the servers had left before she tipped her head to the side. "I admit I'm curious why you're even in this race. I thought business and technology were your passion."

"You reach a point where success can only take you so far, and then it becomes time to try to give back," he said, as thoroughly rehearsed as any line she'd ever heard.

"Norman." She watched him over the top of her glass. "I'm not other people."

"Fine," he said, shaking his head. "I'm bored. Stark is running the field with the tech industry, and I just don't have the staff I need for biotech. Yet."

"And you think the presidency will give you _time_ to pursue that kind of thing?" she asked, one eyebrow raised as she shook her head before she took a long drink and paused. "This is the kind of thing we used to have in the Capitol," she said, frowning, already feeling a buzz.

"I think the presidency would make my company look more attractive to aspiring scientists," he replied. "And all of my best star pupils who I _thought_ had died are all hiding under SHIELD's umbrella."

Jess frowned as the buzz increased in her ears. She had _checked_ the glass, taken Bobbi's antidote ... one glass shouldn't be affecting her this much. "They're really not _hiding_. They're _living_ ," she argued thickly as she tried to blink her way to something a little less… woozy.

"Yes, but they don't have a means for me to even offer them a position," Norman complained.

"I'm sure Coulson would deliver a letter of application…"

"Coulson has already blacklisted me," Norman replied. "But you know where they are, don't you, Miss Drew?"

Jess's blinks were getting longer as she struggled to see Norman clearly. "I really … really don't."

"You are a terrible liar under the influence, my dear," he said with a little laugh as she finally succumbed to whatever had been in that drink and passed out.

* * *

 _June 21_

 _The Capitol_

* * *

"Thank you for meeting with me here instead of at SHIELD," Maria Hill said as she and Coulson sat down at what Coulson was sure was a kitchen table she never ever used. "I know it sounds ridiculous, but I _can't_ have people thinking I'm still trying to run SHIELD."

"It's not ridiculous," Coulson agreed. "It's strategic, and it's a sound point. It's best to separate as much as you can. Unfortunately, I do need your input." He allowed himself to look concerned as he pushed a file toward her. "Two days ago, Jessica Drew agreed to meet with Norman Osborn, and she hasn't been heard from since. We've followed her trail, checked with her closest friends and neighbors in Eight — which, admittedly isn't much — and we even went so far as contacting Osborn, but it seems she's simply fallen off the map."

"And I'm sure he just told you she'd gone home safe and sound or something."

"On the contrary, he claims she never showed up," Coulson said. "In spite of the fact that we have traffic cameras showing her entering the building." He shook his head. "All things considered, if it was anyone else — not running for the presidency against you — we'd have already pulled his building apart. But I know you couldn't afford to give him the chance to spin it as a SHIELD defamation situation."

"Ask him for the footage from his surveillance. He can't refuse you and still claim to be looking out for security interests," Hill said.

"We did," he said. "It shows nothing."

"Well someone's cameras are lying, and it's not the traffic cams," Hill said with a glare. She leaned forward. "You can't ask anyone in SHIELD to dig deeper."

"No, we really can't," he said. "Not without some clearance. Norman's security measures are too good; otherwise, I would have let Skye loose on his system already."

Hill leaned back, shaking her head. "What about non-SHIELD personnel? We have civilian allies; her fellow victors I'm sure would jump to her rescue if they knew, and not all of them stayed on with you."

"Honestly, most of them aren't officially with SHIELD," Coulson admitted. "But Morse isn't up to duty right now, and without sending in a strike team .."

"I know." Hill sighed. "Try speaking with Commissioner Stacy," she suggested. "Let him run it as a missing person's case locally. No SHIELD. But it wouldn't hurt to let some of the local Tahiti kids know either."

"Will do," Coulson agreed. "I'll do just that, and then I'll put the bug in Skye's ear if that doesn't pan out for us."

* * *

 _June 25_

 _Howlett Estate_

* * *

This year, there was a three-fold shared birthday party. Wade, Cassie, and Scott all had birthdays within ten days of each other, and this time, they were celebrating it on Cassie's again, since it fell in the middle.

Mrs. O'Malley had taken the opportunity to make sure that they each had a cake — there was red icing for Wade, and sweet little Cassie got a cute yellow cake with chocolate icing. And Scott got a chocolate cake with vanilla icing.

Wade was pretty much singing to himself about his "20th on the 20th" birthday, one arm wrapped tightly around Cassie's shoulders as she carefully picked out the seventeen candles on her cake.

The Hudsons had of course all come down for the party — plus a few of Cassie's friends from Twelve, just to spice things up a little.

"What, you two aren't engaged yet?" America asked as she and GoGo arrived bearing presents — skates that GoGo had designed. America stuck her finger in Wade's chest and narrowed her eyes. "You better not be getting complacent with less supervision. Cassie's the sweetest and best of all of us."

Wade raised both hands and grinned. "Of _course_ I know, silly Chavez! Sweet, sweet Cassielang's the best of everybody ever. Duh."

"And don't you forget it," America said, though she was smirking.

"Just gotta wait another _year_ ," he whispered theatrically.

America leaned forward and matched his tone. "Not for the ring you don't, lover boy."

He looked taken off-guard for a moment but started to nod. "You know, you have a point, Miss America. Maybe I should ask our stabby host where one would procure such an item."

America grinned and patted Wade on the shoulder. "Ask GoGo."

"Shut _up_ ," Wade said in a scandalized tone. "When did she — did you— the whaaaaat the heck?"

America just started to laugh. "Ask her. She's the one who pulled it off, and she's actually good at telling the story," she said.

He nodded, saluted, then did an overly dramatic 'heave-ho' before he launched himself GoGo's way. "Oh, Ms. Tomago! Please tell me a romantic story!"

GoGo almost laughed as she shot a look America's way over Wade's head. "Oh, so that's how she's playing it, huh?" she said, then motioned Wade to join her with Cassie.

"Really? You'll let me in on all the juicy girl talk?" Wade said, resting his chin in both palms as he sat down close. "I'm all aflutter."

GoGo smirked as she leaned in. "Yeah, like you'd let us alone until you knew the story."

"That certainly is a factor," he agreed, nodding.

GoGo shook her head and had to laugh as Cassie scooched closer to Wade with wide eyes and an expectant look. "Right, so ... District Twelve is great and all for a few weeks, but it gets kind of boring after a while," she said. "No offense."

"No, I get it," Cassie said, nodding with that same wide-eyed expression.

"But I'm not gonna go anywhere without my girl, so I told her as much," GoGo said. "Move to the Capitol with me — let the boys in Twelve do their thing, and we can do ours, right?"

"I'm with ya so far," he agreed, nodding.

"So I wrote to Honey, told her what I was thinking, and she sent me designs for a ring. Between the two of us, we had this all covered — and I took her out to the treeline and asked her to move in with _me_." She smirked. "Told her the wedding was optional, but the ring would look good on her."

"And?" Cassie prompted.

"And check her ring finger, Cassie. We're moving at the end of next month. Coulson's already set her up with an interview with Capitol police. The way she talks, she'll have them all marching to _her_ fife by year's end."

Cassie giggled delightedly. "So that's when you're moving. Do you have a date yet?"

"Small steps," GoGo laughed.

"Fair enough, fair enough," Wade said before he rushed forward and scooped her up in a hug. "Congratulations!"

GoGo laughed as she returned the hug as he spun her until he set her down. "But hey, enough about that. There are birthdays to celebrate!"

"And cake to eat," Cassie put in, already half pulling Wade back toward said cake.

* * *

Across the dining room, Clara finally took a seat next to Scott and very gingerly pushed a relatively heavy box his way. "Happy birthday, handsome."

He leaned over to kiss her before he gently tore open the box of knives and gouges — carving tools — and broke into an honest grin before he kissed her harder this time. "Thank you," he said, squeezing her hand. "I can't wait to use them."

"Well, to tide you over, I had Smitty and some of the guys find a few nice pieces of birdseye maple and basswood to play with. If you're in a rush."

He grinned even wider. "Well, seeing as I can't finish the other project I was working on just yet, I'll have to come up with something new."

"Let me know if you need anything else," she said as she curled into his side and gave him a kiss on the jaw.

He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her in. "How about we just have some of Mrs. O'Malley's cake ... unless you want to take it back to our room?"

"I think they have enough cake here for those that will eat it," she replied with a smirk.

"Right." He grinned at her and kissed her gently. "Then I'll take a couple slices back."


	7. Teach an Old Dog (or Victor) New Tricks

**Chapter 7: Teach an Old Dog (or Victor) New Tricks**

* * *

 _July 1_

 _Howlett Estate_

* * *

This was the first time in decades that the beginning of July hadn't marked something horrible like a Reaping or a televised execution, as was the case last year — but that hadn't stopped Clint from making horrible jokes about how the day was cursed. Natasha had made him swear _not_ to repeat those jokes in front of anyone who _actually_ thought that way, but when the doorbell rang, she was halfway convinced that he was right.

After all, that was half the reason Kate and Kurt had taken such a long honeymoon — Kate had _not_ wanted to be around at the beginning of July.

When she got to the door, she was expecting Mac with news about Creed doing something horrible — or a SHIELD agent telling them that Hydra had resurfaced. Something horrible. Instead, she saw a slight man with long, white hair and a white beard and mustache standing next to Director Coulson, his hands folded demurely in front of himself.

"Is there any way someone could get Logan to come down?" Coulson said, turning toward Cassie as the youngest resident of the mansion had also apparently come to investigate the door.

"Can do," Cassie promised with a smile, and she zipped off with Coulson, chatting animatedly with him as she always did when she had the chance to catch up with anyone.

As soon as they left, Natasha invited the old man inside, though she watched him with a healthy dose of wariness as he smiled to himself and simply followed her.

A short time later, Logan showed up at the entryway looking relieved to see the old man, though Skye had a similar expression to Natasha. "Master Po," Logan said with a little smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth before he bowed to the old man. "Thank you for agreeing to speak with me."

Po inclined his head toward him for a moment as Logan straightened up. "Judging by the scars and bruises, you've been getting beaten up a lot."

"I've handled myself okay, for the most part, but I could use some work," Logan admitted.

"Is that what you'd like chiseled on your tombstone then, assuming there's enough left to fill a grave?" Po asked as he accepted the cup of tea from Mrs. O'Malley, who looked stunned at the old man's sentiment. Logan's eyes flashed for just a moment, but he simply shook his head 'no'.

"I will teach you if you wish to be taught," Po told him quietly over the scent of jasmine filling the room. "Of course, the agreement will be the same."

"What does he have to do?" Skye asked, obviously having flashbacks to watching Ogun work Logan over.

"I only ask that he submit himself to me completely," Po answered, watching Logan. "And follow my every command without thought or hesitation. Can you do that, Logan?"

He didn't hesitate to bow his head. "I can."

"Splendid!" Po said cheerfully, clapping his hands together. "Then let's get started." With that, the two of them left, headed toward the ballroom that was once again being used as a training room. Po explained to Logan on the way: "For the foreseeable future, you may look at that room as our dojo — but in it or out, my word is law."

After they left, Skye looked up at Coulson with a frown. "Are you sure that letting him ... _submit_ like that is the right thing to do?"

"It's the way Master Po works," Coulson explained. "But he isn't one of the bad ones. I know it sounds a lot like Ogun, but believe me: This guy is the farthest thing from it."

"He's not totally healed yet," she pointed out.

"And Master Po has been made aware of that situation. He won't do anything to cause Logan any more harm or make him backtrack." Coulson looked as if he'd been prepared to have this talk with any one of the handful of people that would think it their business to interject their opinion — and he'd asked every question of the old man himself already. "Believe me: I have dug as far into this guy as anyone ever could — _and_ Logan requested him."

"Logan requested him?" Skye repeated.

"Yes," Coulson replied. "He said he needed a tune-up."

"Can I read those files?" Natasha asked, finally speaking up.

"Of course," Coulson said.

"I want them too," Skye said with a little frown.

"I'll leave them here for you," Coulson promised. "But before I do, I needed a word, Skye."

"Sure, whatcha need, DC?" she asked with a crooked grin.

Coulson took a moment to afford her a fond smile before he recomposed himself. "I need you to very gently find the parameters of Norman Osborn's system. Don't crack into it just yet. I don't want him ramping it up prematurely, but I have a feeling that we'll need to get into it soon."

"Anything happen that I should try and poke into while I'm there?" she asked.

"Just between us, and please don't tell Logan," Coulson said low enough for Skye and Natasha, "Jessica Drew has gone missing."

Both women stopped and turned toward him. "He'd… want to know about that," Skye said quietly.

"He'd go busting in there and break people," Coulson replied. "And until we can prove that Osborn did it, we can't let him go in."

"Let me look into it," Natasha offered. "Clint and I were just saying we needed something to do."

"Right now, we've got the locals on it," Coulson admitted. "We're trying to make sure that no one associated with SHIELD gets involved yet."

"You know i'm technically still an agent, right?" Skye pointed out. "I'm only on medical leave."

"You're also operating outside of the country," Coulson replied. "Anything out of Seven would look more like international espionage than a SHIELD issue."

"So I'm back to being a terrorist again," Skye said with a crooked grin.

"Yes, please."

"And you'll let me know if you need anything else?" Natasha asked with one eyebrow pointedly raised.

"Top of my list," Coulson promised.

* * *

 _July 3_

 _Howlett Manor_

* * *

Peter Quill had heard from Kitty that Logan had a new trainer, and he was honestly curious about it. The guy had been trained in stuff that he knew for a fact none of the other victors had been trained in.

So he made his way down to where he knew Po and Logan would be and shouldered through the door. "Alright if you have an audience?" he asked as he looked for a place to pull up a seat, intending to stay anyway.

"You have to center yourself if you decide to remain here, Mr. Quill. But if you think he needs your supervision too — by all means, stay," Po told him easily, though he didn't turn to face the young man in question. The offer took Quill off-guard, but he readily agreed and found a spot well out of the way to simply watch as the two of them started up.

It began simple enough. But it progressed quickly, and a little over two hours later, Quill had decided when Po cracked Logan across the back of his head with one of the wooden bokken that he simply didn't like the angle this trainer was taking.

"When I agreed to train you, I did not realize I would have so very little to work with," Po said as Logan got back to his feet. "You fight like a bull — always seeing red. Do you think this is an honorable trait? To needlessly absorb punishment so?"

"I've always taken my licks," Logan defended. "And I've dealt out my share along the way. I try to be the best."

"At what? Getting punched in the face? Having your skin burned off? _Bleeding_ all over creation? You do seem very good at all those things." Po shook his head. "You have no chance of standing up against Victor Creed or anyone else unless you stop treating your body like a rented car. Remember the lessons you've learned. Stop trying to learn them over and over."

It was plain for even Quill to see that Logan was getting pretty ticked off, so when Po invited him to attack, he was sure it wasn't going to be pretty. He was just wrong at how it was going to go: Po cracked Logan in the head again after slipping through his attack.

"You're slow as a slug. This is hopeless. You'd have a better chance at diplomacy. I heard you did well talking your way out of that hoard of ninjas."

"I've killed plenty of ninjas," Logan said with a growl as he got to his feet, but Po waved him off.

"Ninjas are unskilled imbeciles. Any fool can kill a ninja. My dog could kill a ninja."

"You don't have a dog," Logan pointed out.

"That's because it was put to death, just like you're going to be if you don't get it together and learn to fight like a man. But all I am is a humble master of eighty-two different Chinese martial arts. There's only so much I can teach a guy." He waited until Logan was in position to start again. "Good. We'll go for a walk. I think some fresh air will do you some good," Master Po told him before he turned to Quill. "You are always welcome to observe." With that, the two of them stepped outside.

Quill startled before he halfway rushed after them. "Hey, waitamminut."

"Something I can do for you, Mr. Quill?" Master Po asked brightly.

"Yeah, you can lay off the abuse, man," Quill said, his eyes slightly narrowed.

"It's fine, Quill," Logan said, one hand outstretched.

"See, my friend here is an idiot and doesn't stand up for himself sometimes, and I'm telling you now," Quill said, not addressing Logan but glaring Po's way, "that I'm not okay with someone hitting him. It kinds pisses me off."

"You would prefer he continues on until Victor Creed or some other comparable lunatic finds all of the weak points in his defenses?"

"I'm pretty sure you can teach him without being a jerk about it."

"Have you managed to teach him much, Peter Quill?" Master Po asked. "Because I have done this before, and I am well aware of how to get his attention best."

Quill crossed his arms. "He's a hardhead. Not an animal."

"The fighting we've done today has only shown me that we need to train his eyes first. Everything has a weakness. A stresspoint. You just have to _see it._ " Po waited to see if Logan had caught any of that before he pressed his fingers to one temple. "More blind than Murdock. I'd be better off teaching you how to die with dignity." He shook his head hard before he took the few steps to where Logan was standing. "Today, you will show me around the grounds. Tomorrow, we'll start with balance, then move on to vision and how to _listen._ "

* * *

 _July 6_

 _Howlett Estate_

* * *

Clint had woken up early one morning because Natasha had a nightmare. She didn't have them nearly as often as when they were younger and she was freshly out of the Red Room — or as often as she had when she had just come back from the Capitol — but she still had them sometimes, and when that happened, it was safer to just leave the room so she didn't feel like she was being watched.

Nobody else was awake — except, he discovered when he stumbled into the kitchen, for the cook, who was busily folding dough for cinnamon rolls.

"Sorry," he said quickly, raising a hand in greeting. "I was just coming down for some toast and coffee."

"Are you sure you don't want anything more substantial than that?" she asked with a raised eyebrow, as if such a small breakfast was completely unacceptable.

"Not awake enough for much more," he admitted. She nodded politely and went back to her dough rolling before she put those in the oven and got started on some sausages and eggs that Clint knew would be gone before the time he usually got down to breakfast — seeing as the early risers would usually devour the first round before the slowpokes got up.

It was a quiet morning, too. Logan was training, Skye was working on a project of some kind, but for the most part, the place was quiet. Natasha had told him what was going on with Jessica Drew, but there hadn't been any change… Clint was half sure Natasha would just tell him one morning they were going to Eight, and that would be that

Suddenly, Clint sat up a bit straighter as he spotted something outside, and he watched with a little smile as a yellow labrador came bounding through the snow. But to his surprise, the dog came right to the door of the kitchen and pawed at it, and the cook let out a soft smile before she grabbed up some of the food she'd been making and went to let the stray in.

"Who does he belong to?" Clint asked as he jumped down off the counter to let the dog sniff his hand.

The cook shook her head. "He doesn't belong to anyone," she explained. "But he comes by every morning like clockwork." She smiled a bit. "He likes my cooking."

"Smart dog," Clint said with a grin. "Can I pet him?"

She nodded. "He's a good dog; he's never once growled at or bitten any of us."

Clint grinned and sat down beside the dog, scratching him behind the ears and then, with the cook's permission, sitting with the stray while he finished his breakfast. "He got a name?" he asked. "I mean ... do you guys call him anything?"

She shook her head with another smile as she watched him playing with the lab. "We haven't named him, no. Like I said, he just comes by in the mornings."

"Well, he needs a name. I'll think of something," Clint said. He continued to play with the lab until he was full on rubbing the stray's tummy and completely involved in trying to think of a good name.

"If you plan to keep him, he'll need a proper bath," she told him. "I'm sure he's covered in fleas."

"But I _can_ keep him?" Clint asked, perking up entirely.

"You might want to pass it by our James."

Clint couldn't help grinning at her name for Logan. "Who can resist this face?" he asked as he scratched the dog's ears again. "I'm sure he'll let you stay, boy. I'll run the bath myself."

"He does have a soft spot for animals," she told him with a little smile.

"Hear that?" Clint said, grinning at the yellow lab. "Give it another ten minutes for him to get down here and you'll have a bath and a name and I'll figure something out for a collar probably…" He just kept grinning. "You're one lucky dog."

* * *

 _July 8_

 _Howlett Estate_

* * *

Quill had been following through on Po's invitation and had made it a point to go and at least watch the beat down that Logan was taking on without any complaint. He didn't like the way Po was doing things, but it also wasn't like either Po or Logan was going to listen to his complaints.

So when Skye showed up for coffee that morning, it just seemed like the simplest solution had presented itself.

She gave him a little smile. "Something wrong?" she asked as she half-curled up in her chair with her coffee mug. "You look like you've got smoke coming out of your ears."

"I thought by now you might have checked in on Logan's newest … teacher." Quill said with a look of distaste.

"On my to-do list," she admitted. She tilted her head at him curiously. "Have you met him?"

"I spent most of the morning watching them 'start the training process'," Quill replied. "At least … that's what they called it."

Skye watched him, then leaned forward the slightest bit. "So … how bad is it?" she pressed, scooting forward to the edge of her seat.

"Can't say I feel all that good about it, honestly."

That got a deep frown out of Skye. "What's he doing to Logan?" she asked sharply.

"It's more what he's got Logan agreeing to, honestly." Quill admitted.

Skye shook her head, closing her eyes for a moment. "What's he gotten himself into?"

"I'm not all that sure. Director Coulson said Master Po is a great teacher. Master of all kinds of kung fu wizardry or something. But he said he requires total submission of will… And Logan was totally on board with the whole thing," Quill muttered almost under his breath.

She actually swore under her breath and sighed out all her breath. "Of _course_ he is." She shook her head and then turned Quill's way. "Where are they?"

"The ballroom. Oh wait, sorry. It's a _dojo_ now. Where else would he be?"

She turned on her heel. "Yeah. I'll come back later and tell you about how I _fixed_ this."

"Yeah… I'm sure getting yelled at by the pregnant lady is gonna help," Quill said with a smirk before he had to sigh and admit, "He's not entirely wrong. The stuff he's teaching is sound. It's just… skeevy."

"The methods are sketchy, yeah. I've seen that before," Skye said, shaking her head, before she went to the hallway, already stalking her way down to the ballroom, her jaw set and obviously on a mission.

She didn't knock when she got there, instead just slipping inside, where the little teacher was sitting in a chair and calmly drinking green tea by the window overlooking the pond. "Where's Logan?" she demanded without preamble.

"Somewhere on the grounds," he replied calmly. "Can I help you with something, young lady?"

She looked him over for a long moment. "You can't just take him over. That doesn't work," she said. "I won't let anybody else do that to him ever again."

He watched her anger for a few moments before he addressed her. "And you think that I am some evil wretch bent on abusing your pet?"

She pointed an accusing finger his way. "He's not my pet. He's my _husband_. And I don't know you except that you're bossing him around. Not exactly a good idea."

"He _chooses_ to listen to me. There is no punishment if he decides to go another route. He _asked_ for my help. That is simply my condition to make sure he pays attention." Po raised the teacup to his lips without dropping his gaze. "It's not a control issue. It's a respect issue."

She glared at him for a few moments longer. "If he disobeys you, will you stop teaching him? He feels like he's stuck in a corner, like he _has_ to do this."

"He disobeys and talks back all the time. I explain my point and try to teach it again. He can't _help_ but mouth off." He looked totally untroubled by her still angry glare. "I am teaching. Not brainwashing. He's had too much of that already. Yes, I read all about it. It's no wonder he's worthless in a fight."

"He's really not," she said, though she had relaxed at the assurance that there would not be any brainwashing. "He's saved my life and everyone else's a hundred times over."

"Ms. Howlett, they took a young man who is, as I understand it, the only person on the planet outside of its creator to know Ogun-ryu and turned him into a mindless attack dog. He is not efficient. At all. He should be able to decimate armies without coming out of it looking like hamburger." Master Po leaned back in his chair again. "I want to fix that for him. Otherwise, it's a waste of a perfectly good warrior."

Skye wasn't sure what to make of this perfectly calm and reasonable man, and at last, she just had to cross her arms and let out a huff. "If you hurt him, I'll know about it. And I'm reasonably sure you don't want to fight me when I'm all..." She gestured at herself.

"Notice my lack of terror," he replied easily. "If you are that concerned, I will extend the same invitation to you that I gave to the man I assume sent you here. Come and watch. But if you do, do not interfere."

"I'll be here," she said, nodding quickly. "It's my job to watch out for him."

"Then how is it that you missed how badly he has slipped?" Master Po asked.

She gave him an angry glare. "Oh, I dunno. Might have been the trying to fix the brainwashing. Or the running from Creed. Or the part where I _died_. Or any of the other crap we've all been putting up with."

"Yes, pure crap. All that tells me is that he should have called me ages ago," Po replied. He rose to his feet to show her to the door. "Don't worry. He's still got it somewhere in there. Hopefully, it won't take forever for him to remember how to use it."

She nodded and paused in the doorway for just a moment, a new expression on her face. "When he does ... can he kill Creed?"

"He should be able to kill Creed one handed without spilling his coffee," Po assured her. "He just needs to pull his head out of his ass first."

"O-kay then."

"Run along; it's far too hot for civilized people here," Po told her. "We start at dawn."


	8. Damsels in Distress

**Chapter 8: Damsels in Distress**

* * *

 _July 9_

 _District Eight_

* * *

Gwen had been honestly surprised at the letter of application that arrived in the mail from Oscorp for a position there. But… she and Peter had talked about it for a while, and they both agreed there was nothing wrong with scheduling an interview to see what the idea was. After all, they weren't part of SHIELD anymore, and they were going to get married. Eventually.

She'd seen the ring, even if Peter didn't know it. And she knew it would be a good idea for her to have a job. For _him_ to have a job. To start… acting like normal adults and not… whatever they had been under Tahiti.

They were living on the farther reach of Eight, though, so Gwen bought out a room at a hotel for a few nights close by the Oscorp building. She had plans to surprise her dad with a visit, too,

Her appointment was just after lunch, so she made sure to meet up with some of her old friends from school in the district and chat, though she was surprised at how much had changed in just a few years. It was harder to talk to her old friends when they just had so little in common, and that more than anything else was what was on her mind as she climbed into the Oscorp elevator.

She was ten minutes early to the appointment — on purpose — and found her way to where the receptionist had said she could find Mr. Osborn's office. She had expected maybe to find a vice president or human resources representative — not Mr. Osborn himself.

Gwen paused in the doorway for a long time before she finally let out her breath and sat down in the chair across from him. "I… brought a resume," she said haltingly, suddenly aware of how very scant it was, considering the fact that half of what she'd worked on for SHIELD was _still_ classified. She hadn't thought the position was high enough up for Norman Osborn to interview her….

"Miss Stacey, one of the best and brightest Eight ever had to offer," he said warmly as he got to his feet. "Come in, please. I have to admit I didn't think I'd see you today. You must have been just wasting away during the war."

"Oh, I had plenty to work on, actually," Gwen said with a shy smile.

He chuckled and waved her in. "So tell me about it. What did you do? We looked for you."

"We've just been trying to get a little break since the war ended," Gwen admitted. "I was surprised you even knew where to send the application, but I guess victors were in the circle of influence too."

"Yes, word gets around," he agreed as he reached for her resume.

"I'm sorry it's not very complete," she told him self-consciously. "I honestly can't tell you some of the projects I worked on."

"To be honest, I'm just pleased to see something _new_ on it," he said.

She flushed at that and nodded. "I… didn't get to thank you for sending me help in the Games — and for trying to help me before," she said quietly.

"I just wish I could have done more," he said in a lower tone. "Everyone was hard to get money from that year."

Gwen nodded again, falling quiet as she looked down at her hands and then cleared her throat. "Yes, well. Thank you. I really appreciate it."

"You're very welcome," he said distractedly as he read over the resume. "Of course, we have a position if you're interested … new labs being put up to house the advanced biotech division."

She glanced up and let out an honest smile. "That does actually sound interesting. I'd love to get back to work in a real lab."

"Of course, you'd need to pass the entry tests," he said with a little frown.

"I'd expect so," Gwen said. "If it's a new lab and all."

"Well, I'm just a bit concerned," he said. "Who knows what their … _reanimation_ process might have done to your capacity. And I'd hate to see you in over your head."

"I haven't slipped," Gwen assured him. "I had plenty of chances to _improve_ , actually, working in SHIELD's labs with all their technology."

"With all due respect," he said, his fingers entwined, "even if I were to discount the fact that SHIELD refuses to release anyone's medical files — with their permission — as I understand it, they didn't perform any more than basic cognitive testing. It's not like they had a complete IQ work up of before on their test subjects." He reached into the bottom drawer on the right hand side of his desk and pulled out a sizeable manilla folder with her name on it. "But I do."

Gwen stared at the folder openly. "You… for… me?"

"You were number one at the school, Gwen," he said, shaking his head. "Of course I kept your files."

"Well, if it's an IQ test you want, or any other kind of aptitude test, I'll take it, obviously."

"Just like when you were in school," he promised with an oily smile.

"Do you maybe have an estimate for how long it'll take?" she asked. "I thought I might surprise my dad while I'm in the area."

"Oh, just a couple of hours, I'm sure," he said with a little wave. "You should be in and out and to your father's place by dinnertime."

* * *

 _July 10_

 _Howlett Manor_

* * *

Kate and Kurt had returned in the quiet of the night and slipped into their room, tired, tanned, and totally relaxed. It was still quiet the next morning when Kurt woke up. When he did, he turned with a grin to see that Kate beside him was completely entangled in the sheets, her hair everywhere and the pillow in a death grip. For a long time, he grinned at the girl beside him and kissed her forehead before he slipped out of the bed, headed for a cup of coffee for himself — and one for her once she decided it was morning.

He made his way barefoot down the halls, still grinning and hardly thinking about where he was going. He was _married_. He was married to _Kate_. He _still_ couldn't believe it. It somehow felt more real being 'home' at the manor, doing normal things _and_ being married.

He picked up a few things fresh from the oven, and Mrs. O'Malley was sure to welcome him with a broad smile — piling a tray up with fresh goodies for him to take back to their room.

When he got back, the light was starting to come in through the windows, and he noticed for the first time that leaning against the coffee maker on their dresser was a plain white envelope. For the time being, he set it aside while he loaded up the machine, smiling to himself. He was staring out the window, a smile plastered to his face, when he spotted the envelope again and curiosity got the better of him. He picked it up and sat down at the little table by the window as he opened it. He smiled when he saw the handwriting, as he realized that Logan had made sure to set up whatever surprise this was himself.

He started to read with a smile that slipped from his face quickly as shock took over.

 _Wagners -_

 _Stocked all the cabinets. All the arrangements have been made. Enjoy your wedding present._

 _Love, Logan_

Along with the little note was the deed to the victor's log cabin — signed over to the both of them.

Kurt was still staring at the note in his hands as the grin slowly returned, getting wider the more times he read over the note, and he shook his head and muttered, "Oh, Logan."

The coffee had just finished brewing when Kate finally climbed out from under the covers, wearing a tee shirt of his that he was sure he'd never get back now that she'd declared it to be too comfortable, still clearly tired but a little more smiley than usual and going right for the coffee as if she'd just been waiting for him to finish brewing it. She took a long drink of her first cup and looked over the edge at him, grinning at his expression. "What's that?" she asked, tilting her head at the paper in his hand.

He handed the note to her, and she very nearly dropped the coffee when she'd read it. "He did _not_ ," she whispered, grinning.

"He did."

She let out a delighted sort of giggle and crossed the short space between them to slip her arms over his shoulders, resting her chin on his head as he sat and she stood behind him. "So," she said with a teasing tone to her voice. "That's definitely my favorite of all the houses. I love it. We'll have the best neighbors ever and a cozy little house — just you and me." She tilted his head back so she could kiss his forehead. "I filled out the paperwork. You're mine now."

"Forever and ever," Kurt agreed.

* * *

 _July 14_

 _District Seven_

* * *

Early in the day, Po had decided that it was time for Logan to go to Three. In one respect, it was for Seven to help cement relations with another rogue district, and in other respects, it was that he knew that Shingen would offer his men to help test the young man on how far he'd come in his training — and what he'd remembered.

So, as the sun rose, the two of them flew out, fully intending to fight ninjas and then talk shop over tea.

But that just meant that everyone else still had their usual plans to attend to, and for Skye, that meant it was time to head into town, where Heather had told her she could find the orphan kids with massive quantities of wild raspberries along with the stories that came with the kids' harvest — always full of fighting off bears for berry-picking turf.

She wasn't quite the general that Logan was, but the kids all loved her anyway, especially after one of them referred to her as "Mrs. Logan" and everyone else started to take up the refrain.

The raspberries were perfect, too. She hadn't even realized how much they would hit the spot until she snuck a couple — and then that was all she wanted to do.

And what's more, they hadn't run into any bears yet, even though Heather had warned her about that. So Skye was honestly _enjoying_ herself as she found a spot under the shade of a tree and tucked into her basket of berries. _Maybe_ she would bring some back to the house, but at this point, it was unlikely.

"How did I miss you?" Creed's voice echoed through the trees around her.

Skye scrambled to her feet, trying to pinpoint the voice as she reflexively hit the little emergency communicator Coulson had left with everyone. But she couldn't pin down where it was coming from.

"I mean, I can see missin' a casual thing … but you … don't look too casual. Not right now, anyway."

"It's really not any of your business," she said with an obvious sneer to her voice, eyes narrowed.

"But I've made it my business," he replied. "Mostly to hunt down anyone stupid enough to cross paths with the Runt and kill 'em." He chuckled. "Really kinda glad I missed you, though. This oughta hurt more."

Skye glanced around the trees, trying to pinpoint him, with her hands raised in fists. She was looking for an opportunity, waiting for an opening, something... She didn't want to run right into where he was either. But as she turned one way, Creed simply rushed her from the other side, grabbing her to pin her arms. She twisted and kicked where Logan had shown her on the outside of his leg, aiming to do damage. And when Creed snarled from the hit, she managed to squirm one arm free and followed it up with a shot at his throat.

She thought she'd gotten away, but she found herself stumbling — still not used to the change in her center of gravity — and he got a solid hold on her ankle. He was obviously ticked off as he yanked her back toward him, promising to drag it out.

But she wasn't about to let that happen either, and the second he was even halfway close enough, she surprised him by moving _toward_ him, grabbing hold of his arm. She hadn't ever really _used_ the gauntlets at full capacity that Tony had made just for her, but for this guy, she'd make an exception. She cranked the power up with one hand, and with the other...

The intensity of the blast was enough to throw her back to the ground, but it was far worse for Creed, who drew back with a roar of agony as the gauntlets simply _shattered_ the bones in his arm.

Skye stared for only a second before the instinct to run kicked in, and she took off running — faster — throwing everything she had into it until she very nearly crashed into Kurt coming out of the trees.

"Woah," Kurt called out, startled by her scared appearance. "What happened?"

Skye shook her head and pushed on his shoulders. "We have to _go_ ," she said, her breath coming in gasps. "Creed. Victor Creed — he's back there."

Kurt looked past her the way she'd come. "Are you sure? Are you hurt?" He was already looking her over for even the smallest of scratches.

"Yeah, no, I'm okay. I think. Really," she panted out, trying to catch her breath as she leaned against him.

He looked past her one more time. "I think you should see Henry," he said finally.

She nodded for a moment before she leaned her head against his shoulders and hugged him, taking shaky breaths and just… trying to calm back down. "I'm okay."

"It's alright," he said, trying to soothe her. "We'll get you inside and settled down."

She nodded but didn't seem ready to let go, still clearly shaken — and shaking. "I broke his arm," she mumbled.

"I'm sorry, you what?" Kurt said with a tone of disbelief.

"I've been wearing the gauntlets when I go out — safety precaution, since, you know. Bears. Creed. Issues. And I broke his arm," she explained, wiping her eyes against her sleeves. "Like… _broke_ it. Shattered, actually." She seemed even more shaken at the thought and looked down at her gauntlets. "It was bad."

"Then he has even less of a reason to follow you," he said, his eyebrows raised high on his forehead. "Let's go talk to Hank — and you can radio Logan and Po."

She took a deep, steadying breath and nodded, following Kurt back and still half clutching one of his arms all the way back, though when they made it to the grounds of the manor, she seemed to all but melt in relief once the gate was closed behind them.

"You're safe," he promised, half holding her up as they made their way to Hank, who did not look amused in the least to hear that she'd faced off with Creed _and_ taken off running through the woods.

"I'm starting to wonder if this is a symptom of living here for too long," Hank muttered under his breath.

"Look, I just wanted some raspberries," Skye grumbled. "Clearly, that was my bad."

"And that is a perfectly reasonable craving," Hank said. "Not your bad. The bad part was the lunatic that attacked you — and the overexertion after the fact." He shook his head. "Your pulse is still high."

"I wasn't about to let him get hold of me again," Skye pointed out. "I didn't shatter anything for him that was more important than his arm."

"Which I am grateful for," Hank said. "Had you gone for a more fatal attack, you would likely be pinned under him God only knows where."

She shuddered at that thought. "Ew." She shook her head and shuddered again. " _Ew._ "

"I'd like to take a closer look at both you and the little one," Hank said. "Before you retire to your room."

Skye let out a breath and nodded. "Yes please." She patted one of Hank's arms. "Thanks. Seriously."

"Honestly, Skye, if you want my attention, there is no need to go to such strenuous lengths."

She had to laugh a little at that. "I'll remember that next time."

Hank gave her a warm smile as he got started on the quick run-down that he always did, though this time, he added in a sonogram — which Skye had already learned was always a fun little addition. Sill, she wasn't quite prepared when he looked up at her with an almost proud smile. "Would you like to know what you're having?"

She almost didn't process the question. "What… yes?"

He adjusted the screen so she could see for herself first. "Any guess with what you see on the screen?"

Skye leaned in for a moment, staring at the little… _person_. "I… uh…"

He chuckled and adjusted the view. "Your little girl is perfectly healthy."

Skye stared for a moment longer before she just started to laugh and leaned over to grab hold of Hank so she could pull him into a hug.

He chuckled and hugged her back. "I take it this is what you were hoping for?"

"For sure," Skye said, still hugging him.

"General of the little army," Kurt had to agree, beaming as he walked around to the other side of Skye — and she was sure to wrap him in a hug, too.

* * *

The entire trip to Three had gone over much better than Logan could have anticipated. He hadn't expected Shingen to be so _enthusiastic_ about having his men attack — but it hadn't ended the way the old man was convinced it would. As a result, the 'talks' over tea regarding the relations between Seven and Three and how they related to Marvel in general were even more polite than Logan had come to be used to.

The old Kung Fu master had been smug through the entire meeting, and as Logan and Po finally got going to head back to Seven, they received an SOS that was coming out of Eight.

 _Please, please_ — _anybody. I need the army! The navy! Gwen's just GONE!_

"Petey," Logan called back as he finished up his pre-flight. "Calm down; what the hell's going on?"

The general call SOS paused as Peter tuned into just Logan's channel and sounded totally relieved. "Logan! Oh man, am I glad to hear from you. You gotta help me! I can't find Gwen. At all. Anywhere!"

"Not sure that's SOS levels, Petey," Logan said. "How long's she been gone?"

"Days!" Peter said breathlessly. "She was supposed to be back yesterday at the _latest_."

Logan turned to Po and then nodded to himself. "Gimmie a sec," he said. "Just gonna tell Coulson what's going on. I'm leaving Three now."

"Okay, okay. Right. Yeah. I'll meet you … I'll meet you at the station in Eight."

"Try to breathe, Petey; we'll find her."

"Yeah. Breathe. Right."

With that, Logan let out a breath and radioed for Coulson to fill him in. "Negotiations went … easy," Logan told him. "But I just got a distress call from Pete. Gwen's missing."

"What?" Coulson asked, sounding stressed already.

"Yeah, said she's been missing for days," Logan replied.

"I'll contact Peter, then," Coulson said, then paused. "You should call home, Logan. Peter wasn't the only one putting out a distress."

"What happened?" He asked.

"As I understand it, Victor Creed tried to get the drop on your wife."

On hearing Creed's name, Logan cursed, and on catching the rest of it, it was plain that he was trying to decide where it was he had to be.

"She's fine, Logan," Coulson assured him. "Scared, but safe and sound at home. Apparently, she broke his arm."

"Yeah, got it," he said, already set to change channels and dial in the house.

"I'll be in touch," Coulson said, ending the transmission.

"You're not going to leave your friend hanging — stressed and scared for his Gwen — are you?" Master Po asked calmly.

Logan looked his way with a dry expression. "Crossed my mind, yeah."

But Po shrugged noncommittally. "It's a mistake to go to Seven," he said conversationally. "Skye is fine. Safe, healthy, and well-protected. Meanwhile, your friend is in need of a warrior to help him." He finally turned to look at his student. "Make your call, but do it on the way to _do your job._ "

Logan glared at him for a moment — still weighing it out as he started the engines and dialed in to the house. "Tell me what happened," he said to the first person to pick up the line.

It was Kurt on the other end, and he was quick to fill Logan in on what had happened: how he'd found Skye running in the woods and what she'd told him had gone down. "As far as I can tell, aside from being manhandled and scared silly, she hardly has a mark on her," Kurt said, sounding both amazed and proud.

The long stretch of silence from Logan was a clear indicator to Kurt, though, that something else entirely was going on.

"Logan?" Kurt prompted. "Really, everything is fine here. If anything, Skye's just exhausted more than anything else right now."

"Alright, got it," he said low.

"Do you want to speak to her?"

"That would be helpful," Po cut in. "So we can have a more efficient flight plan."

Kurt nodded, and for a long moment, there was silence on the other line until Skye came over the comms. "I'm _fine_ ," she said first and foremost. "Really. Hank okayed me and everything."

"You don't sound too worked up," Logan replied. "How long ago did the death wish happen?"

"It… really, it wasn't … I don't know, actually. A lot of stuff has happened. Maybe a couple of hours? Hank checked me over and…"

"Ha! No room to complain," Po said in the background with a gleeful tone. "While she was breaking arms, you were doing the same. Go to Eight."

"What's in Eight?" Skye asked.

"Petey put out a distress signal," Logan replied. "Gwen's gone missing. So if you're okay—"

"We're all fine. Go get Gwen!"

"—then I'll take the Kung Fu battle axe out to Eight." But at that, Skye could hear Master Po in the background swearing in Mandarin and obviously hitting Logan.

"Yes, alright. Find Gwen fast, though. I have _things_ to tell you when you get back. Good things. Like, oh, what we're having." She giggled delightedly. "Also, your trainer swears like a sailor."

"Yeah, I know," he said. "I'm picking it up just fine. Might sound different, but the tone is the same no matter what language it is."

Skye laughed again. "Go get Gwen. And if Eight's so dangerous, tell them they can always live here with us. We seem to collect people anyway."

"I'm sure he'll be ready to leave anywhere that's threatening Gwen," Logan replied. "I'll let you know _when_ we get them."

"Good luck!" she said, brightly and sincerely, before she cut the connection.

"I don't think he caught all of that," Kurt said with a grin.

"No?" Skye sniffed. "Probably better that way if he's going to pick a fight." But she broke into a little grin of her own anyway. "Besides, I'd rather tell him in person."

"I'm not sure what he said, but it sounded to me from the hitting that Master Po didn't appreciate being called a battle axe."

"That and he takes exception to Logan not focusing." Skye grinned. "I'm so _distracting_."

"Is that what he was saying?" Kurt asked with a little laugh.

"More or less, in between incredibly creative swearing," Skye chuckled.

"Ah, then they _are_ teaching each other," Kurt replied.

Skye just laughed and shook her head at Kurt before she lightly and playfully shoved him in the shoulder. "C'mon. I didn't get to finish my raspberries, and I _know_ Mrs. O'Malley has some in the kitchen."


	9. Not the Blonde You Were Looking For

**Chapter 9: Not the Blonde You Were Hoping For**

* * *

 _District Eight_

* * *

When Logan and Master Po got to District Eight, they were greeted by one incredibly upset spider, clearly frantic and wringing his hands, unable to keep still as he waited for them to deplane.

"What happened, Petey?" Logan asked as he stepped off the jet.

"That's the problem — I don't know!" Peter said, throwing his hands in the air; he was practically pacing. "She went for a job interview — trying to do the normal thing, right? And I called, and they said she dropped off her resume and left…. But she never got back to her hotel room or called up her dad or ... or came back home or... "

"Take a breath; let's go figure it out. I've got someone to stay with the plane," Logan told him as he tried to redirect Peter. "Where was the last place she was that you know for sure?"

"I guess Oscorp, but believe it or not, Coulson already checked with them. Or ... he's checking with them now. Or something." Peter took a deep breath. "She was just going to go for an interview and see her dad."

"So what do you want to do?" Logan asked. "We can go see how friendly Norman's feeling — or we can start looking through whatever surveillance they have with the locals. Your call."

Peter took another breath, clearly trying to calm down. "I… already called Mr. Osborn, actually," he admitted.

"Okay, then let's find surveillance if you think Normy's on the up and up."

"I don't really know. He _sounded_ really upset when I told him Gwen was missing, and Mr. Stacy said he's been helping them.… I mean, Gwen's dad is on the force here, did you know?" Peter worried his hands through his hair, then swallowed and nodded a couple of times. "Alright. Yeah. This way," he said — though that was a little unnecessary, since the Oscorp building was the tallest in Eight, and it was a fairly flat district anyway. It was also the busiest building in the district, with plenty of people going in and out, so they got in just fine — only to be a bit surprised by the pair of blondes at the reception desk.

"Look, I know he's busy," Bobbi was arguing with the receptionist, with Hunter not far behind her. "So am I — but what the heck kind of presidential candidate turns down a visit from an old victor?"

Logan took a look at the pair of them, narrowed his eyes, and turned to Peter. "Come on; we're not asking permission. We're just going."

"I'm pretty sure we could. I mean, he said he'd help if I asked..."

"Then he won't have any trouble openin' the flamin' door, will he?" Logan pointed out. "Let's go."

Peter swallowed and nodded before he and Logan made their way past the reception area toward the elevators, encountering only a few security guards — who very quickly backed off when Logan got annoyed.

But there wasn't a rush of security like they'd expected, and when they did get to Osborn's office, the former victor was just sitting there and gestured for them to take a seat as well when they came in. "If you'd asked my secretary, I would have had her buzz you in properly."

"She was busy," Logan said.

"I'm sure." Osborn shook his head slightly before he shifted his focus. "Peter, it's good to see you. Has there been any news?"

"We were hoping to ask you if you'd seen anything… I mean, it's not like I have all the cameras you do," Peter said, shifting nervously.

"We won't take much time," Logan assured Osborn, looking for the moment as if he was simply placating Peter.

"Of course," Osborn said, looking totally understanding. "I can't say that I've seen anything new, but if you like, I can show you the surveillance of our building from that day." With a few keystrokes, he pulled up the surveillance and then motioned to Peter so he could come around behind the desk and see what he was doing.

"Miss Stacy arrived early to the interview, and I was impressed with her resume," Osborn said as he pulled up the footage of her coming in. "We talked about future tests -—aptitude, that sort of thing. And then—" He pulled up the footage of Gwen leaving. "—here you have it." He let the footage play from several angles until she dropped off of his building's surveillance and then let out a sigh. "After that, she was past my cameras. You could probably pick her up on traffic cameras."

Peter looked completely crestfallen as he stared at the last image on screen.

"Thanks, Norman," Logan said evenly as he reached out to put his hand on Peter's shoulder. "We'll go check with the locals."

"Please, let me know if you find anything," Osborn said.

"You'll be the first to know," Logan promised.

Osborn nodded at that, then looked toward Peter. "I wonder — could I have a word, Peter?" he asked in a gentle tone. "You look horrible… I can't help but be concerned."

The two young men came to a stop halfway across the office, and Peter just nodded. "Sure, of course." But as Peter turned back toward Norman, so did Logan.

"A private word?" Osborn asked.

"That's not gonna happen," Logan said easily.

"Honestly, Logan," Osborn said, waving his hand.

"Honestly."

Osborn frowned his way for a long moment before he simply let out a sigh and looked toward Peter. "I just wanted to make sure that you're alright. I know you and Miss Stacy were close. And if there is anything I can do… if you need a place to stay closer to the center of the district while the search is ongoing, I have the space to share."

"No, that's … that's alright. Thanks," Peter said.

"My door is always open to you, Peter," Osborn said, leaning back. "I hope you find Miss Stacy soon. I hate to see you two separated after all you've been through."

"Thanks," Peter said, forcing a small smile. "I'm sure … we'll find her."

"Absolutely," Logan agreed, watching both of them with his arms crossed. "Just a matter of time."

"Good luck," Osborn said with a little nod before he seemed to turn his attention back to whatever he was working on before, and Peter and Logan hit the hallway once more.

Peter seemed to sag more once the door was closed and looked toward Logan. "That… was a bust."

"Yeah, sure seems like it," he agreed. "So now we go to her dad and check the traffic cams."

"Yeah… I guess." Peter ran a hand through his hair and then let out a breath as they got into the elevator. "But he's already checked those. I just don't know where else to _look_."

"We can always start shakin' down anyone that might have looked at her cross eyed."

Peter nodded again, falling quiet as they hit the main lobby, though both of them were surprised that Bobbi and Hunter had stuck around to wait for them.

"Any luck?" Hunter asked as he met them near the door.

Peter shook his head, looking downright depressed about it. Hunter frowned, but he didn't say anything until the group of them were a little further out from the building. "What about for Jess?" he asked low.

"Woah, what about Jess?" Logan asked, stopping cold in the middle of the street.

"Didn't you hear? She's gone missing too," Hunter said, tipping his head toward Bobbi. "What else d'you think would get her out of retirement?"

"I hadn't heard a thing about that. How long has _she_ been gone?"

"A month at the end of the week," Bobbi said quietly and with a deeply settled frown.

Logan let out a little sigh and turned back toward the building. "And the last place she was just happened to be Osborns?"

"She went to meet with him about the election or something," Hunter said. "And then ... nothing. Not a peep."

Logan had just decided to head back toward the Oscorp building at that, but he didn't get more than two steps that direction before they group of them were surprised by several thus in familiar green uniforms.

The attack was clearly targeted, as the Hydra soldiers didn't seem to be trying to take on all of them. Instead, they went right for Bobbi, a couple of them grabbing at her even as she kicked back to stop them. Hunter rushed forward to help, but Hydra clearly wasn't as interested in him as Bobbi, as one of the soldiers simply shot him to stop him as the others tried to get a better grip on the still struggling Bobbi to carry her off.

The little group of Hydra soldiers were doing a pretty good job at holding Peter and Hunter back — considering that neither of them were armed — but when Bobbi let out a frustrated sort of sound that was clearly laced with fear, that was just the tipping point for Logan.

With an echoing _snikt,_ Logan rushed forward and just started in — nothing fatal to start with, but as soon as one of the men holding Bobbi drew a gun to shoot Peter, he switched tactics and went for broke.

One moment, Bobbi was being dragged — and the next, she was flinching her shoulders to her ears and trying to get her feet under her as the Hydra men fell to the ground. Logan grabbed a hold of her arm and was dragging her back to where the other two were without so much as an acknowledgement of any of it before he started giving orders. "All of you are coming with me — _now._ "

"Where to?" Hunter asked, holding one hand to his shoulder and looking pale — and not just from the blood loss. It was obvious the attempt to grab Bobbi in broad daylight had him furious, and worried too.

"Got a plane waiting to go right now. I want everything on Jess and everything Gwen's dad can give me on both her and Gwen this time _before_ I come back with my party dress."

"Alright, yeah, but where to?" Hunter asked again.

"Somewhere safe," Logan said. "Just shut up and get in the damn plane."

Hunter didn't argue after that as the group of them headed back to where Logan had left the plane, with Peter promising Bobbi there were medical supplies in the jet so she could fix up her boyfriend.

"None of these look like Gwen Stacy to me — though at least you brought back a blonde," Master Po said with a pleasant smile.

"We're going back to regroup," Logan said determinedly.

"Had a small Hydra problem," Hunter said with a nod as Bobbi took him by the arm and steered him to a corner so she could look at his shoulder.

"Well, the important thing is that no one died needlessly, yes?" Po said, watching the two blondes.

"Yep," Logan agreed. "They needed it."

"They tried to grab Bob," Hunter explained.

"I see," Master Po said. "Bobbi Morse?"

Bobbi nodded for just a moment. "Guilty," she said with a self-deprecating smile.

Master Po turned toward Logan for a moment with a growing smile. "How very interesting."

"Shut up," Logan grumbled. "Don't want to hear it."

"And you are?" Bobbi asked.

"Most people call me Master Po," he replied. "Unless they are accusing me of being a battle axe."

Bobbi had to smirk at that. "You don't look much like a battle axe."

"You've known him for five seconds," Logan said. "Give it another ten."

"You don't look like a battle axe either, and neither do I," she pointed out. "I didn't say he _wasn't_ one," she added, smirking despite herself.

"Look," Peter cut in, his foot bouncing where he sat, "the introductions are great and all, but… Hydra just attacked us? And two spiders are missing still? Maybe focus?"

"If you really think I can't fly us back and give you a hard time, you're slipping," Logan replied.

Peter shook his head. "Alright, yeah, true, but still. Let's get moving. Gwen's still out there somewhere."

"Pete, unless you happened to pick up new information while I was gutting Hydra, there's nothing new to talk about, and I'll red line the damn thing once we're out of the city," Logan replied.

Peter let out a breath and nodded, trying unsuccessfully to stop his foot tapping. "Yeah, alright."

"Such a short fuse," Master Po said before Logan stuck his finger in the old man's face.

"Knock it off. Right now."

Po sat back, trying to _not_ smirk too much. "Then we'll discuss it later."

"Fine."

The rest of the flight was in silence — outside of the small talk that Peter tried to spark up with Bobbi, who did not look like she was entirely comfortable now that they were airborne with no say on what was happening.

Once they got there, though, things were a little easier, since both Kurt and Kate had come to see what had happened with Peter, and when Kate saw Bobbi, she grinned and redirected to find her a place to stay — while Kurt seemed to take over on a very depressed-looking Peter.

"We didn't find her," Peter muttered.

"We will," Kurt assured him, his arm around his friend's shoulders as he lead him back in.

Logan was on a mission as soon as they arrived, though, and he just made a beeline for the laptop that had all the intel rolling in. He was insistent on finding everything he could on Jessica right that second and opened up a video line to talk to Coulson. "Why the hell didn't anyone say anything to me about Jessica Drew?" he demanded in lieu of a greeting.

"Because SHIELD has been investigating it — and you've had your own issues to deal with, as I understand it," Coulson replied.

"Come on, Coulson. That's crap," Logan half growled out. "What about Hydra? You guys miss that too?"

Coulson raised both eyebrows. "Hydra?"

"Yeah. you remember them, right? Ugly bastards in green. Got a real one-track mind. Tried to grab Bobbi just now …"

"Where did this happen?" Coulson asked. "We haven't seen a hint of Hydra activity for weeks. There are a few pockets of supporters, but they haven't been organized."

"In Eight," he replied. "Left a few bodies for you there."

Coulson let out a long breath and shook his head. "I should have told you, but we've been working on our search efforts with several teams, not to mention Bobbi and Hunter and a few others."

"Well they're both here now," Logan told him. "Along with Peter Parker. I want everything — _everything_ — you have on Jessica disappearing before I head back to Eight."

Coulson sighed but nodded all the same. "I'll send it your way."

With that, Logan ended the call and had to let out a sigh. If the little team they'd barely formed before the end of the war was up to it … this would probably a good run for them to work with. But Betsy had gone back to Two with Remy. And he was sure Scott wouldn't want anything to do with an unsanctioned run anywhere.

Before he could bring it up to anyone, though, Coulson came through. All of the intel they had on Jess popped up on the screen: the surveillance, the time stamps … traffic cams... And that's what he was doing — sifting through it all — as Kurt came to see what was going on.

"You know, you've locked yourself in here and haven't said hello to your wife yet," Kurt said as he peered over Logan's shoulder at what he was looking through. "I'm sure this is very important as well, of course…"

"Jessica Drew has been missing for a month," Logan said. "And SHIELD has no leads."

Kurt frowned and leaned forward to look closer this time. "And this is all they have?" he surmised.

"It was little enough that Bobbi came out to look herself," Logan told him.

"I wondered what she was doing here," Kurt said, almost to himself.

"She nearly got snatched by Hydra," Logan said as he leaned forward to look closer at one of the video loops. "Petey and I got her out."

"So you think Jess was snatched by Hydra?"

"Seems too easy," he said, shaking his head. "But we were near Oscorp when it happened, and both girls disappeared after their meetings with Normy. Might be a link."

"Peter told me about the visit to Oscorp," Kurt said. "But if Hydra is working with Norman Osborn, maybe we can start there."

"As much as I don't care for Osborn, I can tell you he never had ties with Hydra," Logan said.

"Then we have two different problems," Kurt said. He grinned Logan's way. "Which should we tackle first?"

"I think … we should talk to Gwen's dad and see those videos first. If there's a chance we can follow the Hydra creeps back the way they came, that'd knock one of 'em off the list. Norman ain't goin' anywhere."

"Sounds _wunderbar_. When do we leave?"

"As soon as we put on some armor for the party," Logan replied.

Kurt nodded, putting a hand on Logan's shoulder. "And as soon as you stop by to talk to Skye. You should at least see her for a moment."

"Yeah," he agreed scrubbing one hand over his face. "Nothing going on for the longest time, then all the shit hits the fan at once."

Kurt smirked his way. "Yes, well. You may actually enjoy this."

"If she's not hurt, then I'm enjoying it," Logan deadpanned.

Kurt just chuckled. "See you at the plane, _mein Freund_ ," he said, though he made sure to check that Logan was headed the right way before he went to grab his own armor.

He didn't make it all the way before Kate spotted him, though, and when she saw his swords and armor, she broke into a huge grin. "Alright!" she called out. "Katie needs to shoot things. Where we headed?"

Kurt considered telling her that he and Logan were just going to District Eight for a short time to take care of things with Jess and Gwen, but when he saw her huge grin, he couldn't help but match it. "There's a small Hydra problem in Eight."

"Oh, good. I love shooting Hydra. Don't leave without me," Kate said, motioning for Kurt to stay put before she took off running at full speed to get her bow and her uniform.

Logan, meanwhile, took a moment to figure out that Skye was in the kitchen — though it wasn't terribly hard to decipher by the laughter coming from that direction. When he got there, she was nibbling on raspberries and enjoying watching Clint and Wade spoil the stray lab that Mr. Kenneth had been feeding out of the kitchen door. "Is this the regular meet up?" he asked as he took the empty seat next to Skye.

"Pretty much," Skye said as she reached over to pull him closer and hug him. "I heard from Bobbi and Hunter that you didn't find Gwen. I'm sorry to hear that."

"No," he said. "No sign of her yet, and SHIELD just doesn't have anything on it. What about you? What happened? Sounds like all the fun happens when I'm gone."

"Oh, just a big jerk who tried to ambush me," she said, pushing her lower lip out.

"That's the only way he knows how to fight," he replied. "Can't do a square fight to save his life."

"No kidding," she grumbled.

"Oh, hey, Wade — I got a job for you," Logan said. "If you don't mind, that is."

Wade looked up from playing with the stray lab and broke into a wide grin as he practically bounded over. "Ooh, yes! Reporting for duty, _sir_!" he said with a little bounce.

"I just brought Petey back," Logan said. "He needs a babysitter. Don't let him feel too sorry for himself."

Wade nodded, looking entirely serious. "Not to worry, _mon cap-i-tan_ ," he said patting Logan on the shoulder. "My favorite Spiderman will be totally distracted and 100% cheery — as much as he can under the circumstances, anyway."

"Wade," Logan said, getting him to pause at the doorway. "No kissing."

Wade let out a high-pitched whining noise. "But the internet, Logan."

"Yeah, I'm sure. No kissing." He paused and had to call out, knowing Wade was thinking of a loophole. "Even if you're wearing Gwen's hood."

"You," Wade said, shaking a finger in Logan's direction, "are sneaky!" He didn't sound _too_ put out by it, though, and he shot Logan a double thumbs-up before bounding away on his assignment.

"I'm headed back to Eight with Kurt," Logan said. "Just had to make sure I didn't need to find a bomb to drop on Creed."

"I sorta kinda … destroyed his arm," Skye told him. "So I don't think he'll show up for a long time."

"Atta girl," he said with a little smirk before he leaned over and kissed her temple.

She smirked back at him. "I had a good teacher. Good for teaching girls how to deal with creeps."

"And some of Tony's tech that wasn't meant to be used that up close and personal," he pointed out.

"Well, that too. But I still think it was mostly the training," she said. She leaned over to kiss his cheek and added, "Think you can stay in practice long enough to teach ours?"

"I sure as hell hope so," he replied.

"Good." She grinned. "She'll be the toughest kid on the block."

He paused for just a moment. "She? Is that a for sure or wishful thinking?"

"Hank checked me over after—" She waved her hand. "It's a for sure."

He smiled her way for a moment — one of the rare smiles that nearly got a chuckle. "That's perfect."

"I think so too," she said, halfway snuggling into him for a longer hug.

He took a moment to curl halfway around her before the dog caught his attention making all kinds of god-awful noises begging for a pet as Clint tried to _not_ grin at them. "If you're going to keep that damn thing, at least give him a bath," Logan said Clint's way.

"Are you talking to the dog or the Hawkeye?" Skye teased.

"Yes."

"Very funny," Clint said with a crooked grin.

Logan gave her an extra squeeze and a kiss. "Alright. I'll be back soon. Hopefully with Jess and Gwen. Maybe, if it's not too much trouble, Hawk-guy, you can shoot anyone that's not invited to this party?"

"Can do," Clint promised. "And I'm sure Nat'll do the same. We've got this place covered. Go get the girls."

Logan rushed off to change, trying to flatly ignore Master Po as he watched him pull on the bulletproof uniform. "You think I'm making a mistake?" he asked.

"No," Po replied. "I just think you're a little too optimistic for the job at hand. It's a nice change."

"Same time tomorrow?" Logan asked.

"As long as you're not in the infirmary, yes."

Logan stopped in his tracks and gave the smiling old man a totally dry look. "Same time tomorrow then." With that, he headed off to the jet — and had to laugh when he saw Kate bouncing in place. "You're in my seat."

"I am _not_ ," she said. "You probably flew on the way back. Give someone else a turn. Selfish."

"And here I thought you'd want to suck face with your husband."

"You know I _do_ actually do things that aren't making out with Kurt," Kate said, though Kurt was chuckling.

"Yeah. Things you have to do … like eat."

"And sleep," Kate said, though this time with a shameless grin.

"Tell you what … _copilot_ … I'll take it on the way in — and you take it on the way back. And if you're _good,_ I'll tell you what I did today."

She tipped her head to the side as if she was studying him before she burst into a laugh. "How about, oh copilot mine, I take it in, and if _you're_ good, you'll be able to fly back and _not_ get stuck in the hospital while _I_ fly back."

"I was going to invite you to Three with me next week, but … looks like I'd be better off with Clint."

"He-ey." She turned his way and narrowed her eyes. "No. You're taking me to Three. Clint's not as awesome as me — and you know it."

"Clint doesn't argue when I want to fly once in a blue moon."

"Yeah, but someone has to stand up to you. Selfish. I got here first." Kate stuck her tongue out. "You snoozed, you lost. Better luck next time."

"Fine," he said. "I'll tell Kurt about the ninjas then."

Kate's eyes were sparkling with trouble as she leaned forward. "Hey, Kurt. There were ninjas, and he fought them. A lot of them." She looked toward Logan and grinned wider. "There was stabbing, fighting… the end."

"Nope," Logan said, shaking his head. "No stabbing at all. And we had tea after."

"There ya go," Kate said with a nod. "And that's pretty much the whole story. Give or take a sentence."

"You're a pain in my ass," Logan told her. "And just for that, our little girl _can't_ be named for you at all."

"There's an abundance of Katies anyway," Kate said airily, waving her hand. She grinned and leaned forward, biting her lip. "But that's final, right? Not just a hope and a prayer for a girl for your army?"

"I do not have an army."

"Oh no, not at all," Kate chuckled before she turned back to the controls. "Strap in, boys. Time to play heroes."


	10. Another One Falls

**Chapter 10: Another One Falls**

* * *

 _July 15_

 _District Eight_

* * *

It was mid-morning by the time the little group of awesomes got out of the police station, even though it had been _early_ when they stopped by to chat with Gwen's dad and get as much surveillance and intelligence as they could on both Gwen and Jess.

The man was at his wit's end with his daughter's disappearance, and though the three of them were certainly sympathetic, it was clear that Mr. Stacey needed a break.

"We'll let you know if we find anything new," Kurt promised the frazzled chief. "With a little luck, I'm sure she'll be home for dinner in no time."

"If SHIELD can't find her …" Mr. Stacey said.

"We're not exactly SHIELD," Logan said.

"Technically, we're foreign agents now," Kate added with a little grin. "We're on loan from Seven."

"And we are the best," Kate added, grinning confidently and draping her arm around Kurt's shoulders.

With that, the little group had left Commissioner Stacy to carry on with his forces while the three of them got down to work, deciding to start with Hydra's trail, since, as Logan had said, Norman wasn't going anywhere. They could find his ivory tower whenever they wanted to.

By that time, there was a little rain — a summer shower that made trying to track down the jerks that had come after Bobbi much harder. But it only lasted for a little while, and the sun was already coming out again as the three friends hit the outskirts of the district, following the nearly nonexistent trail.

Nearly.

Between the three of them, they were able to find the abandoned warehouse that practically screamed 'hideout' the closer they got to it. The few green-clad guards on duty were easily dispatched or avoided, and in no time at all, Kurt and Logan were sneaking into the warehouse, while Kate had climbed the roof to get a good angle on the bad guys.

So Kate was the first one to see Werner Strucker pacing angrily in front of an older woman who seemed to be a prisoner… Kate narrowed her eyes and pulled herself around to a different part of the roof so she could get a better line of sight, outright glaring when she recognized May Parker.

"Don't play games with me," Werner snapped her way, and at his tone, Kate was already stringing an arrow ... and another two just to be sure. "I know you know where they are. I know your little nephew is _here_ , in this district."

Kate narrowed her eyes as she pulled back the arrows on her string.

"Oh, this … just isn't going to work for me," Logan said, cluing Kate in that she wasn't the only one watching this trainwreck. "You got this creep, Hawkeye?"

"When I say go," she replied low, "you grab the sweet old lady."

"On your mark," he agreed.

She took in a deep breath and held it and said "go" on the same exhale in which she let all three arrows fly — two in Werner's chest and one through the back of his head — and then she was already stringing more arrows for the Hydra creeps who thought it was a good idea to kidnap _May Parker_.

Before May could even process what had happened, Logan rushed forward, with Kurt covering him, and simply scooped her up and started running. "Those creeps bothering you?" he asked.

She looked relieved for a moment before she nodded. "Oh yes."

"We've got Petey back in Seven already," he told her.

"And what about Gwen?" she asked.

"No sign of her … anywhere," he admitted.

May looked downright disappointed at that, glancing over Logan's shoulder to see Kurt with both blades singing — handily taking care of things there — amid several of Kate's arrows.

"There aren't that many of 'em," Logan said, guessing what May was thinking.

"Peter's not with you?" she asked.

"No," he said. "He's with friends, though. He was too upset to go — and likely he'd have been beside himself if he knew you were there."

"Yes, I suppose that's true," May had to agree, frowning and falling silent for a moment until they were farther from the warehouse and well away from danger. "So we'll be going to Seven, then?" she asked as he set her down and she patted the wrinkles out of her dress.

"If it's all the same to you, I know Petey for one would feel a lot better knowing you're safe."

"And I'd feel better being able to see him," May said with a firm nod. "Though if you're here looking for Gwen, I can wait, of course. You can take me back with her."

He let out a breath and let his shoulders drop. "To be honest, this was our best lead," he admitted.

May matched his dejected expression for a moment before she reached over and put a hand on his arm. "I'm sure you'll find her all the same," she said before she pulled him into a brief hug. When she released him, though, she had an entirely different expression on her face. "And when we get there, you _must_ introduce me to your wife." She looked almost stern. "I can't believe you, Logan. Pulling something like that. What about the rest of us who would have liked to see that for you?"

He just stared at her for a moment, not sure which point to address.

"And what's this Peter tells me about a little one on the way? When is she due? I want to be there for that, at least!"

"I'll let Skye answer all that," Logan said, totally off his guard as he helped her into the jet.

"Don't think you can just let her handle everything," she warned sternly.

"No, I just … don't know what you want first," he grumbled.

"A proper hug would suffice for one thing," she said with a sparkle in her eyes. "I don't see you for how long and then you show up married and a father and all I get is carried off and dropped off?"

"You want me to put you back?" he asked.

"Oh no," she said, shaking her head. "But it really is wonderful to see you again. All of you. Is it just you and your team, then?"

"Yeah, Kate's slinging arrows," he said, almost giving her a double take at the speed she was switching subjects.

"Now those two… they're darling together. I know they've been encouraging my Peter to talk to Gwen, even if he's a little gunshy. You know he had a few false starts before all this mess started up," May said, looking toward where they'd come as they waited for the other two to join them. "I'm so glad the three of you are still looking out for him."

"He'd do the same," Logan said, stepping past her to start up pre-flight.

"And who is he with now?" May asked as she took a seat and arranged herself for the duration.

"Wade and Cassie are keeping an eye on him," Logan said.

"Oh, good. I always did like that girl. And Wade… is a good boy when he wants to be, really."

"He's … enthusiastic."

May nodded with a little smile before she managed to spot Kurt and Kate as they were headed back. "Are you still staying at that beautiful home?"

"Yeah," Logan replied, a little distracted. "We're at the estate."

"I hope you have more than just the few of you there. It would feel so empty with all that space…"

Logan nodded absently, trying to balance his attention between May and the mission. The preflight was done, and Kurt and Kate weren't quite there yet. "No, there are a few more. Clint and Natasha, Henry McCoy … Quill, Kitty … Bobbi Morse and Lance Hunter just got there yesterday."

"Oh good." May looked honestly pleased to hear it. "I'd hate to hear that you were in that big house all alone. Even with a little family, it is just so… much."

"'Obnoxious' I think is the word you're looking for."

"You were so nice to let everyone stay there," she said warmly. "Peter and Gwen both enjoyed that place more than any of the other places SHIELD had for them after the Games." By that time, Kate and Kurt had arrived, but it was clear she was content just to keep chatting with Logan.

"Well, their room is theirs," Logan said as he tried to head back to the cockpit, though Kate and Kurt both got there first with twin smirks as May Parker just kept showering him with attention. "Hoggin' the stick, Trickshot."

"Oh, but Aunt May hasn't heard about your adventures yesterday!" Kate said sweetly

"I had _tea_ yesterday," he grumbled her way.

"Oh?" May asked interestedly. "Who with?"

"The warlord in charge of Three," Kurt called back.

May turned toward Logan with both eyebrows raised. "And how on earth did that happen?"

"I … speak Japanese. I make a good go-between, I guess."

"When did you learn Japanese?" May asked, genuinely interested and looking almost proud.

"Before my stupid tour," he answered.

She beamed at him. "And how did your meeting go?"

"Fine," Logan said, looking at his hands.

"Tell her about the ninjas!" Kate prompted.

Logan glared at her for a second and didn't turn to May as he said, "They had tea too."

"And they also speak Japanese?"

"Yeah. Pretty much."

May smiled wider at that before she seemed to settle in — with Kurt and Kate both giving Logan huge grins from the front of the plane.

It was going to be a long flight.

* * *

 _July 17_

 _District Four_

* * *

Johnny Storm had been surprised when, after the war was said and done, Odin had opened his district to victors like him who just wanted to get out of Marvel and put the whole horrible thing in the rearview mirror.

He was more or less just living far from everything, in a little beach house on the edge of the quieter neighborhoods. He had a great tan going on from just sitting in the sun, though he was a little self-conscious about the fact that there were some tan lines — scar lines, really — that just wouldn't turn any darker from skin grafts after the Silver Surfer fiasco and everything else that had been done to save his life.

Which he was grateful for. He just liked being alone and not answering questions about it.

So it took him completely by surprise when, while he was sitting out in the July sun and leaning back with his arms behind his head and his eyes closed, a person-shaped shadow got in the way of the sunlight, and he peeked one eye open.

No one ever came up his way.

He raised an eyebrow when he saw that it was Jessica Drew and sat up a little better, with a small smile. "What brings you all the way down here?" he asked her, the smile turning into something a little more winning as he made space for her to sit beside him on his laid-back chair if she wanted.

To his surprise, Jess did sit next to him, though she didn't say anything, her head tipped to the side.

Johnny's smile slipped a bit, and he let out a small breath. "If you're here to do the SHIELD recruitment pitch, I really don't—"

"I just never took you for one to go to Four," she replied finally.

Johnny let out a little laugh and waved his hand. "Yeah, I don't get involved in the hoity-toity nonsense and the honor-speak. I'm just here for the sun and sand." He grinned at her. "You look like you could use a little yourself."

"I probably could," she said, nodding. "I did pack a few suits. Want to help me pick one out?"

Johnny's grin got wider at that. "You don't strike me as the type to need help," he teased. "Not that I'm saying no, mind you."

She just smirked and looked over the top of her sunglasses at him. "Maybe I'm concerned with tan lines."

"Hey. Low blow," he grumped a bit.

"Not what I was getting at," she laughed. "Didn't think you were going to be so sensitive."

"I'm a sensitive kinda guy," he said, this time with a slightly more teasing sort of look. "So, where're you staying, anyway?"

"Down the beach," she said.

Johnny grinned at her for a second before he hopped to his feet and offered her a hand up, draping an arm over her shoulders once she was up. "So," he said. "There's a few good coves around here that are _perfect_ for privacy if you like that kind of thing."

"That's exactly the kind of thing I'm looking for."

His grin widened as he started to lead the way, shaking his head at her. "Man, the war ending thing sure loosened you up."

"It was nice to watch SHIELD step back too," she said with an easy nod. "They're not as in your face — and I don't think they have any of the victors anymore."

"That can't be true. There were people like you and Bobbi and Rhodey… I mean, you guys and SHIELD were _tight_."

"Well, Rhodes, yeah. But Bobbi retired, and I'm just tired of looking at that stupid eagle."

Johnny looked honestly surprised as they made their way down the beach, and he tipped his head down to catch her expression. "You? Really?"

"I never forgot who put us in there, Johnny," she replied, her tone turning harder. "You might have volunteered, but most of us were hand-picked."

Johnny shot her a little rueful grin. "Yeah… well, didn't know what I was volunteering for, did I?" he asked, though the smile fell at the subject. None of the people that had survived the Games had come out the other side of the war untarnished, not to mention the rest of what the Capitol had put them through… He shook his head and forced the smile Jess' way. "Besides, you rocked the victor look."

"You're one to talk," she replied with a little laugh.

"I make everything look good," he said with a dismissive wave.

"We'll see," she said with a smirk.

He just laughed at that as they found their way to the rocky surroundings of one of the coves. "Come on, Jess; it hasn't been _that_ long since the Games. I've still got it."

"I have to wonder … you are getting _older._ "

"I am _not_. You wound me, Jessica Drew," he said, shaking his head.

"You're in your thirties."

"I look just as good as I did in my twenties. Be real." Johnny was still laughing as he offered her a hand up over some of the rocks into the secluded little area.

"You don't look any different than you did when I won. How's that?"

Johnny shrugged. "I'll take it," he said, still with a wide and teasing grin. "Toldja I still look as good as my twenties."

They'd just reached the spot he'd found weeks earlier, and she had to laugh at his cocky grin. But instead of encouraging him, she looked up and down the beach. "This really is pretty isolated. Do you take all the younger girls you find out here?"

Johnny turned her way with an eyebrow raised at the question. "Hey, hey." He paused. "Alright, one."

She laughed and shook her head before the smile fell. "I really am sorry then."

"What about?"

He barely felt the pinprick before Jess stepped back, looking completely conflicted. "It'll be easier this way... No fighting," she said as he went slack.


	11. Is a Twenty Enough?

**Chapter 11: Is a Twenty Enough?**

* * *

 _July 20_

 _Coulson's Office at the Triskellion_

* * *

It was more than a little frustrating that they still had no intel on either Jessica Drew or Gwen Stacey. No new sources had arisen. No leads. No witnesses. And nothing was lining up.

Coulson was more than a little perturbed too that he hadn't caught Peter Parker's distress call before the general alarm. He absolutely wouldn't have sent Logan in if he had the choice in operatives. And now he had to deal with him going on the warpath. Still, one thing he could say for sure: the guy was relentless in hounding out every lead, no matter how little weight it carried.

And though he hadn't found anything yet, it was clear after talking with Skye that he wasn't giving up, though even she wasn't sure if it was simply because they were missing or if it was a means to avoid Bobbi — which he was also exceedingly good at, it seemed.

Still, he didn't have enough manpower to spare at the moment to take over the search — or to send out forces far and wide and _not_ have it look like SHIELD was trying to sway public opinion by force for their old AD's favor.

"You look like you're ready to do something questionable, Phil," Assistant Director May said as she stepped into his office.

"Not really questionable," Coulson defended. "More like … preventative."

"You think the kids are being targeted," May said, uncrossing her arms and moving to sit on the edge of his desk.

"I think that's the most reasonable explanation as to what's happening here," he replied. "I don't know what they want with them, but … if they're not being taken by someone wanting to use them or their skills, then the only other option is one I don't want to even consider."

"That someone is disposing of them."

"I'd rather not go down that road unless we find irrefutable evidence that points that way, if it's all the same to you."

"So what's your next step?" May asked.

"Keep them notified of what's going on. At least that way they might have a chance to avoid it. I hate to bring them in when they just now got out and into some semblance of normalcy." Coulson paused. "And we'll need to make doubly sure they all have a way to contact us if things _do_ go south."

May nodded at that. "I'll get right on it."

* * *

 _July 24_

 _District Eight_

* * *

Jess's most recent mission was almost too straightforward. Otto Octavius had moved to Three to get out from underneath Odin's influence and to theoretically get more toys to play with, but all his newest toys and security measures were nothing matched up against Jessica Drew.

This wasn't anything like the mission to Four with Johnny. She didn't need to snatch him — and she didn't need to do much to hide her tracks, just her identity. No one could know who it was that infiltrated Otto's place and shot him point-blank. They just needed to know he was dead.

Once she'd wiped the place clean of prints and made sure there was no way the murder could be traced back to her — or to anything resembling a tie to her or Osborne — she headed back to District Eight with her report.

The flight back to Eight was quiet — the flights always were — though she didn't think she was really paying much attention. When she wasn't on a mission, lately, she just felt tired. Unfocused. But once she was back in Eight, she felt a little more focused, driven. She just needed something to _do_ , that was all.

As usual, once she was in the district, she didn't go to Oscorp through any visible entrances, instead going through one of the many tunnels underneath the building. No one had seen her enter Oscorp since June, and no one would. Those were her orders, and her secrecy was paramount so that she could function well as an assassin and secret agent.

Finally, she made her way up to Osborn's office — not the one that was on the blueprints but the one that he _actually_ worked from. Once she was there, she handed him the camera she'd taken with her, with photographs of Otto's work and notes. There was, after all, no use in killing him _and_ not taking advantage of any advancements he'd made.

"The first dozen pictures or so are unfinished projects… but a particle accelerator… the means to manipulate it… those make up the bulk of the film."

Norman picked up the camera and started to flip through the viewfinder. "Beautiful. Thank you, Jessica." He gestured for her to take a seat. "Your next job will likely be a little more … difficult to handle."

She nodded quietly. "Alright. I'll dress appropriately."

He smirked at that and let out a little laugh. "I'd like you to get me Peter Parker. And ,if you can manage it, that little Morales boy too."

"Morales will be easier. I can bring him in first," Jess offered. "Parker hasn't been seen since Stacy went missing, so he'll take me more time."

"He came in with Logan very shortly after Stacy disappeared," Norman pointed out. "You might need to use your connections."

Jess nodded again. "For that, they'd need to see me. Should I cover my tracks afterward?"

"As a last ditch effort, of course," Osborn replied. "And if you think they'd come looking ... take care of it."

At that, Jess nodded. "Is there anything else you need?"

"How adept is Morse in biochemistry?"

"I'd say she's one of the top minds," Jess said thoughtfully. "But not _the_ top mind, especially not after spending years with a purely … venomous focus. She hasn't had the chance to sink her teeth into any research outside of Hydra for a long time."

"Who would you put at the top, then, Miss Drew?" Norman asked. "I know you'd keep up on that."

"Jemma Simmons," Jess said.

"She's incredibly loyal to SHIELD," he said thoughtfully. "We'll have to either make her an incredible offer or …"

"She wouldn't leave Coulson's team even with the most generous stipend," Jess told him frankly. "The director has a personal stake in her and her lab partner as well."

"Do we need the set?"

"They usually operate that way… but they have different focuses," Jess said. "They're practically inseparable, and one always has input in the other's projects. He's an engineer — an actual rocket scientist."

"Good, good," he agreed as if it was an open and shut shopping outing. "The set then, if you can manage it without giving yourself away. Simmons alone otherwise." He smiled almost pleasantly. "Thank you, Miss Drew."

* * *

 _July 28_

 _District Seven_

* * *

While there still hadn't been any sign of Gwen, Peter's friends had been doing their very best to keep him distracted, to give him things to do to keep his mind off of his missing girlfriend. And for the most part, he really did appreciate it, though he did find that the morning sword training between Kurt and Logan — when they were taking a break between running down different leads — was actually a blast.

If he caught them at the right time, he could get in on the warm-up, too. Sometimes, he _was_ the warm-up — him and Kurt versus Logan. And when it was a straight up wrestling match, he could even win.

He was halfway down to the ballroom when he met up with Kate on her way _from_ the ballroom.

"What, you're not going to do the running commentary with me?" he called out.

She snorted. "Of _course_ I am. The boys just took their games outside today." She reached over and threaded her arm through his. "Come on, Pete. I'll show you where they're hiding away. I just had to come back and find a friend of mine."

"Somehow, I don't get the feeling you mean me."

"Ah, no. But I'm glad I ran into you anyway."

"Now I'm just sad," Peter said, not sounding it one bit.

"Well, I can promise you that you won't be for long," she said, still pulling him along. "Because America and I have plans."

"And you didn't bring me in on it? No loyalty anymore," Peter said, shaking his head.

Kate chuckled. "Well… you can get in on it now… _if_ you bring your camera."

"Oh? Um … it's ... in Coulson's... or... what _was_ Coulson's office."

"Great. We'll pick it up on the way," Kate said with a nod. With that, she halfway dragged him along with her to pick up his camera and head outside to the waterfront.

They could hear the fight long before the two fighters came into view. They were working with the heavy bokken again — but even with wood, the strikes were cracking in the air and ringing through the trees, where Logan and Kurt were working at the moment, between trees and over gnarled roots and rocks.

It was already hot out, and it was apparent that they'd already gotten a solid workout, since both of them had their shirts off and were just giving it all they had. And it was also clear that Kurt had been improving this particular style of swordplay by leaps and bounds, even if Logan was still trying to coach him through a few blocks and redirects.

The two of them were locked up, and Logan was clearly telling Kurt how to end it — to redirect his sword — but when Kurt didn't do it quick enough, Logan pushed forward, and Kurt nearly tripped as his foot slipped on the floating pier on the edge of the lake. But the fight kept going — onto the pier.

Fancy footwork gave way to out and out dirty tricks as both of them started trying to throw the other — an all out free-for-all — as they both tried to tip and rock the pier, smirking at each other.

"You wouldn't," Kurt said with a laugh.

"You're the one that wants to be a pirate — better learn how to fight in the water," Logan chuckled back before he stomped hard with one foot, and Kurt's smile fell as he looked up at his best friend.

"You're asking for it, _mein Freund,_ " Kurt said before he took a better stance himself and tried to throw Logan off balance.

It was much harder to keep balance when their footing kept moving, and the fact remained that the floating pier wasn't designed for two people to be stomping on it and rushing across it. It was clear that even though the competition between the two of them was ramping up with the splashes of water, they were having a blast. Both of them were grinning as they went back and forth — all the way up until Kurt got a little too far _away_ from Logan when he stomped on the dock — and the Elf lost his footing.

He went over backward with a little 'oop!' just before he hit the water, though that's not to say Logan escaped the spar dry. With Kurt off the dock, he didn't quite compensate fast enough — and in quick time, Logan went over backward too.

By the time Logan surfaced, Kurt had his arms crossed over the dock, though he was still in the water — soaked to the bone with his hair plastered to his head. "Want to go again?" Kurt asked with a grin. With a crooked smile and a little nod, Logan agreed, and the two of them dragged themselves back up onto the dock to get started again, laughing outright — this time with water flying off their 'blades' and hair.

The fight went on for quite a while, though the more that they fell in, the longer it took for them to get out of the water. And when Kurt realized that the score was decidedly in Logan's favor, he let out a frustrated little sound, threw the sword to the side, and simply tackled his friend right off the pier.

"They couldn't even wait to get done training before the hugs started," Peter tutted — revealing to the boys for the first time that they had a highly entertained audience.

"They can't help it," Kate agreed, leaning back with a grin as she watched the water fight.

"My question is how much water weight they're going to shed before they're done," America said with a crooked grin Kate's way. "You know. To compensate for the tiredness. Of course."

"What are you insinuating, Miss America?" Peter asked, though the two fighters were joking quietly past the end of the pier and just swimming around by that point.

"Insinuating nothing. I came here because I was promised a show, and Logan is _sadly_ not living up to his reputation," America replied with her nose in the air.

"I'm not sure I want to be here," Peter said. "And I definitely don't want to take pictures if you're planning what I think you're planning."

America laughed and reached over to ruffle Peter's hair. "Of course you want to be here, Pete. You _are_ the official photographer in this place, right? Did all the weddings? Gonna do mine?"

"Well ... yeah. But …." He gestured out to Kurt and Logan. "They are my friends. And … they could kill me."

"'Could' and 'will' are two different things," America practically sang out to him. "And if they kill you, they're not very good friends, now are they?"

"That … really doesn't help me much," Peter pointed out. "All things considered."

"Games notwithstanding, Pete," Kate laughed. "Nothing counts in there or Logan would be my mortal enemy, so… gonna have to agree with the star-spangled butt-kicker."

America tapped the side of her nose with her index finger. "See? There."

Logan and Kurt were finally making their way out of the water, bokken in hand and still joking around, and positively dripping wet. "Since when did we get spectators?" Kurt asked.

"Since forever back, _liebling_ ; you just didn't notice," Kate said with a beaming grin as she bounded over to him — with America not far behind.

"I just came where the show is," America told Logan with a huge grin before she handed Kurt a five dollar bill and shoved a bill at Logan — right down the front of his jeans — and just started to cackle.

Logan swore and took a step back as he glared at her. "What the hell are you doing?"

"I was under the impression you were higher-priced than the others. Twenty not enough?" America asked with a perfectly innocent expression.

Logan gave her a completely unamused look before he narrowed his eyes, threw her over his shoulder, and went running back into the lake. "It's enough to get you a swimming lesson."

America was still shamelessly grinning and laughing all the way through being dunked, with the others just… shaking their head at the whole display as Kate elbowed Peter and Peter steadfastly shook his head and muttered, "Not gonna take pictures."

As America and Logan tried to take each other down in the water, Quill joined the group of them and couldn't help but burst into laughter when he saw what was going on. "Oh, that's beautiful. How come nobody told me they were doing this? We could have taken bets on the winner!"

"Kurt wore him down first," Kate giggled.

"We weren't exactly planning to go swimming," Kurt pointed out.

"Yeah, with those two, nothing's ever planned," Quill chuckled, ducking Kate's playful smack. "You guys better come in, though," he said, this time in a louder tone. "Coulson's on the line."

Kurt nodded and called to the two still splashing back and forth in the water. "Children, it's time to go see Dad," Kurt said loudly, though he couldn't quite get through it without laughing.

"Five more minutes!" America called back in a falsely high-pitched, whiny tone as she wrapped her arms around Logan's shoulders from behind, still trying to pull him down with her.

"You know how he doesn't like to wait," Kurt giggled as Logan walked out of the water with America still pulling.

"Come on, knock it off," Logan told her. "Maybe he's got word on Jess and Gwen."

America sighed and relaxed her grip at that. "Yeah, good point," she had to admit, though she couldn't resist adding, "but you're keeping the twenty."

"I'll give it to GoGo. Won't even dry it out first."

"Don't tell her where it's been."

"She'll know when I hand it to her — still there."

America just started to cackle at that, as the others shook their heads and Quill had to offer her a support so she could walk up with the others still laughing the way she was. But it was infectious — even Peter couldn't stop chuckling as they made their way up to the manor.

When Kate glanced over at the two sopping wet ex-victors, though, the corner of Logan's mouth twitched just the slightest before he said. "This is on _you._ "

"You act as though I have some kind of _control_ over her," Kate said in a scandalized tone.

He started toward her determinedly. "You're gonna get it."

Kate giggled and darted behind Kurt, who was laughing with his arms around his middle at their antics. "Nu-uh!" she called out, sticking her tongue out at Logan.

"Like he's gonna hide you," Logan said before he grabbed Kurt and yanked him away from her — then started chasing her down. When he caught her, he wrapped her up in a tight hug and started shaking his head hard — making sure she got as wet as he was able to pull off. "America, I think she needs a hug from you too."

"Oh, for sure," America agreed, making sure to rush over before Kate could get out of Logan's grasp so that she could grab her best friend and bring her to the ground — wringing out her long and curly hair in Kate's face as Kate laughed and tried to escape.

"Should I be worried that my fiance and two married persons are the only wet ones here?" Gogo asked from the door as the motley crew finally got up toward the mansion.

"Probably not," Logan replied as he and Kurt got closer, though as promised, he reached into his jeans and found the bill America had shoved down for him and slapped it in her hand. "I'd be more worried about how that got down there. Tell her that's not the best place to leave her cash."

Gogo stared at Logan for a moment before her gaze found America, though when America saw it, she broke down laughing all over again as Gogo rushed over to "get on her case," which was next to impossible at that point anyway with how much America was laughing.

With the two girls occupied, the rest of the group headed down to Coulson's old office, where the director himself was waiting for them — on the viewscreen setup. He raised an eyebrow when he saw the state of the group but just shook his head at them, opting not to question them on it for the time being.

"There's been a new development," Coulson told them once they were all in the room, looking entirely serious. "Otto Octavius was found dead a few days ago — and this morning, one of the old escorts from the Games was found murdered as well."

"Which escort?" Logan asked.

"Harold Hogan, from Three," Coulson said. He let out a sigh. "It seems someone is targeting people connected to the Games." He quickly glanced Peter's way. "There's no evidence to substantially connect these deaths to the other disappearances, but all things considered, we have to assume one or multiple people _is_ targeting you."

"Why?" Peter asked. "What's anyone got against your friendly neighborhood Spider-man?"

"I wish I could tell you you've got nothing to worry about," Coulson told him with a heavy sigh. "There are any number of reasons. It might be someone who follows Stryker's ideology that the Tahiti process is unnatural, going after anyone related to it. He's been getting some attention as a candidate in the race too, even if he's not as big as Hill or Osborn."

"But if that was the case, why Otto?" Quill asked. "I mean... I know he acted like a freak, but he was honestly just born that way."

"I don't know," Coulson said. "It's just one possible explanation. It could be we're dealing with someone with a grudge against the Games themselves just trying to attack anyone related to them. Or someone who hated them personally …"

"Doesn't narrow down the list for Otto," Quill said dryly.

"There weren't many acquaintances in common for Octavius and Hogan," Coulson pointed out. "If the two are connected, that does shorten the list if it's personal. But if it's not, if someone is targeting the victors and others related to the Games…"

"Again, you mean," Logan pointed out.

Coulson sighed. "We knew that putting you in the Games would make you highly visible, high-value. But the war is _over_ now. It just seems like some people can't put it behind them. The point is, I'm going to contact a few of the others and try to get a head count, make sure they're aware of what's going on. If any of them feel like they aren't safe where they are, we'll offer them relocation to either the Capitol or to Seven."

"Door's open," Logan agreed.

"And I appreciate that," Coulson said. He paused. "One more thing… If any of you run into whoever's doing this, _protect yourselves_ first. But even a description or a name would be helpful right now. We're coming up empty on our investigations of the murders _and_ the disappearances."

"And we'll be carrying the emergency buttons," Kurt said seriously. "Don't worry. We'll figure it out."

"I'm sure we will. But I want you all safe in the meantime," Coulson said.

"Awwww, Dad cares," America cooed.

"That's Director Dad to you," Coulson told her with one eyebrow raised.

"Thanks for the heads up, Coulson," Logan said. "Anything else on your mind?"

"How is Skye doing?" Coulson asked after a beat of thought. "Really."

"Running the place," he replied. "And picking pretty steadily on everyone."

"Then she's fine," Coulson said with a smirk. "You'll be sure to call me before the big day?"

"I'm sure you'll be around before then," Logan said, nodding. "But yeah."

"I'll see you then," Coulson agreed before switched off the comm — likely to start calling the other, more spread out kids and victors.

Logan turned away from the screen and headed toward the stairs. "Anyone that didn't see that — let 'em know," he said. "Maybe slip a note under Clint's door."

"I got it," Kate promised, already headed out. "Quill, you're on Kitty and Skye duty. If they're still in the whipped cream — which they _should_ be — you'll probably end up getting plastered with it."

"Oh no," Quill deadpanned.

Kate smirked at him as the two of them headed out, though Peter had gone sort of quiet, waiting until the louder members of the group had run out of the room as he hung back with Kurt and Logan until it was just the three of them.

"I want to go back to Eight," he said.

"Mind if I get dried off first?" Logan said with a look.

Peter glanced back his way and bit his lip. "Alright," he said. "I just… we need to go back. If someone's… if they're killing…" He took a breath in that shuddered before he was finished with it. "We _have_ to find Gwen."

"We all agree to that," Kurt said, nodding.

"Alright. Good." Peter nodded once, a little more steel in his gaze. "I'm going to go get my extra web shooters. Meet you at the plane."

Kurt and Logan shared a look between them. "You call," Logan said. "If I do it, I'll never hear the end of it. And even I know better than to head out without a heads up."

Kurt couldn't help but shake his head and smirk at his friend. "Oh sure, you're brave on all but the most dire of occasions," he teased.

"Lets see how you'd feel about things if America was cackling about shoving a twenty down _your_ shorts to anyone close enough to listen to it." Logan gave him a little look. "I'm going to have to explain that crap to Mrs. O'Malley. Unless you want to trade jobs?"

Kurt winced the slightest bit. "No, no, mine is fine," he laughed.

"Besides, I'll bet you that soggy twenty that Coulson's just waiting for the call back."

"I'm sure he is," Kurt had to agree, already setting up the call. "The only question in his mind is who is going _with_ Peter."

"Pretty sure he knows that too."

"Well, yes. But you never know — Natasha or Kitty might invite themselves along," Kurt pointed out, waving his friend off.

"Not if they don't know," Logan called back.

"I'll see you at the plane, Logan."


	12. All of the Spiders

**Chapter 12: All of the Spiders**

* * *

 _July 29_

 _District Eleven_

* * *

Miles was glad that Kamala's family had decided to move out of the ruins of Six and all that Hydra had left in its wake to come to District Eleven, because it meant he got to be _home_ while still getting to hang out with his favorite person in the world … even if this time around, there was much more of a shadow with Kamala's big brother taking his role as protector _way_ seriously.

Not… that Miles was complaining. At least not today. He'd met up with Kamala so they could talk about the message Coulson had sent out to all the Tahiti kids about the dangers everyone was facing, and the truth was, neither of them was sure what to think of it. They had their emergency comms, and they had each other… and Kamala had her family back. It didn't sound like she was in much of a hurry to give that up all over again because some lunatic was targeting people.

Again.

And Miles wasn't keen on the idea of going into hiding and _not_ having Kamala around. He liked having her nearby to talk to and to show around all the best parts of his hometown. So if she wanted to stay with her family, he'd stay too.

Besides, Luke Cage was, like, three blocks down from Kamala's place, and anyone who messed with them would have to go through that guy, and he was built like nine different brick walls. So they were probably fine.

Miles walked past Luke's place on his way home — like he always did — and waved at Jessica, who gave him a little nod as he passed. This was almost normal for them, and he liked it. Not to mention he had his own place, and people were treating him more or less like an adult after everything that had happened with the war and all that. Even if he hadn't personally done much fighting in it. At least, not as much as _other_ people had done.

Still, Miles wasn't going to take Coulson's warnings lightly, and he had his own sort of security setup at his place. Anyone tried to break in and they were going to end up stuck to the walls or ceilings — and that webbing was pretty much impossible to break through. He did _not_ want to end up in one of Coulson's daily briefings as an 'also dead.'

He unlocked the door to his apartment and was instantly on alert — until he saw just who it was that his traps had pinned to the kitchen wall.

" _He-e-e-ey!_ " He broke into a huge grin and rushed over to start cutting Jess down. "People have been looking _all over_ for you! What's the big idea giving everyone a heart attack and a half?"

"I ran into Hydra and lost my comm," Jessica said before she blew a strand of hair out of her face. "I've been trying to shake them for _ever._ "

"Hydra? Is that who's trying to kill everyone?" Miles asked with wide eyes as he worked.

"Everyone? I … can only tell you what I've been up to. Who else is on the run?"

"Oh, well, Coulson just told everyone — I mean, all the Tahitis and victors and everyone — to keep an eye out." Miles shook his head as he managed to get one of Jess's arms free.

"And they're not gathering up?"

"Well, a few," Miles admitted. "But not everyone _wants_ to."

"That's encouraging," she said. "It must not be too bad then."

"Um. People are dying?" Miles shook his head at her.

"But it's not mandatory to come in … so … they're not out looking for everyone to bring them in yet."

"You think that's where Hydra is going?" Miles all but squeaked out.

She shrugged as best she could and didn't offer her opinion one way or the other until she was free of the webbing. "Well, there won't be anyone looking when everyone goes 'poof'."

"You're forgetting about Director Dad, oh Queen Spider," Miles pointed out, tipping his head to the side as he watched her. "Are you okay? Do you want me to call someone?"

"No, no," she said. "I want to see for myself what their response time is." At that, she rushed him and cracked him in the jaw hard enough to knock him out cold.

* * *

 _July 30_

 _District Eight_

* * *

After a couple of days in Eight, the three boys still hadn't found any sign of Gwen… or Jess. And they'd just gotten the worried call from Coulson about Miles as well after Kamala had called in that morning to say that he had gone missing.

"Missing, not dead," Peter muttered like a lifeline, and Coulson nodded.

"Please, be careful," Coulson said. "I know you have to look, but you should consider regrouping. Maybe some of the intel we're getting from Miles' disappearance will help the search for Gwen. No way is this coincidence."

"We have a few more places to comb through," Logan assured him.

"Keep your emergency comms close. And _don't_ stray too far into Osborn's territory. His security sensors screw with the signals on our comms."

"Yes, Dad," the three of them answered in unison.

"If… if we can't find anything here, let's go to Eleven tomorrow," Peter said with a deeply settled frown.

"Anything you want, Petey," Logan agreed. "We should probably check in on Luke anyhow."

"And offer our friends a ride to Seven if they want to go," Kurt added.

"Kamala probably would say yes," Peter said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Especially with Miles missing."

"Let's not make plans just yet," Logan said. "We got a lot of turf to cover."

Peter nodded as the three boys made their way deeper into the district, falling silent as they considered the state of things and looked for any sign of their missing friends.

They were almost to the center of the neighborhood housing half of the smaller factories for parts that went into the bigger clothing production lines when Peter came to a sudden stop, clapping a hand to his forehead as it suddenly occurred to him. "They're grabbing the _scientists_." He spun on his heel to face his friends, eyes wide. "Miles and Gwen and Jess — even Otto. Maybe he turned them down, I don't know. But I'll bet you anything there's people on that list like… like Tony or Bruce or… or me," he added quietly.

"That doesn't explain Johnny," Logan said.

"He was a test pilot," Kurt pointed out. "Fitz told me he always tested their newest toys. Science isn't always limited to beakers and computers."

"Let Coulson know, Petey — it's your theory," Logan said.

Peter nodded. "Yeah. Alright. Next time we check in," he said. "Let's just… get through…" He trailed off, glancing around. "Guys… I don't think we're alone."

Logan stiffened up and turned to watch the green uniforms seeping in out of the shadows while Kurt simply drew his swords. The closer they got, the more the three of them went into a small circle, facing outward. "Well. I think we can still take 'em," Logan said.

"Undoubtedly," Kurt agreed.

No sooner had he said that, though, then one of the Hydra goons pulled out some kind of new toy. Peter had a very bad feeling about that thing and ran forward, throwing webs at it — and shocked when the webbing that stopped up the thingy started to _melt_.

"Uh- guys. Flamethrowers, apparently!" Peter called out to the two of them as the Hydra guy he'd been _trying_ to stop managed to melt his way through the webbing, and a stream of flame leapt up close by. Peter let out a squeak and dove aside.

"Keep out of their reach," Kurt called out as he sliced through one Hydra soldier's arm.

"Web their faces," Logan suggested.

"Not a bad idea," Peter muttered as he switched out a cartridge on the web shooter and started to do that — on both counts — dancing out of the way of the Hydra goons at the same time he aimed with careful precision to totally blind these guys. He was entirely focused on taking out the guys with flames that he didn't actually notice that he was slowly moving further and further away from the other two until he turned around to find that he could only see green uniforms.

Kurt called out to him from what sounded almost nearby. "Peter! Where are you?"

"In a _whole_ lotta green!" he called out, trying to spot where the other two were as he reached for another web cartridge. He'd brought plenty of extra, but with the flamethrowers melting it… he was running low.

"Never thought I'd say it, but _keep talkin', Parker_!" Logan shouted. "We'll come to you."

Peter blinked, wide-eyed. "For all the times in the world for my wit to fail me," he halfway whispered as he reloaded just in time to dart around a Hydra soldier who very nearly got an armful of Peter Parker. "No, no. Hands _off_ the spider merchandise!" he squeaked out. "Me and Mama Spider are _not interested_ in joining the forced spider brigade!"

It wasn't long before Peter could see Logan and Kurt heading his way, almost dancing through the scores of Hydra soldiers as they put their swordfighting into play. They were viciously brutal — and a very well balanced team, the two of them with their blades flashing between soldiers. Until ... the soldiers seemed to back away quickly.

Flames were keeping Logan and Kurt from going right to Peter, and when they got a little too close to the fire, Hydra agents on either side threw something at the two of them. It took Peter a moment to see once the flames cleared out that both of them had gotten darts thrown at them. Kurt had one in his arm, and Logan had gotten one in an arm and one in a leg.

Kurt looked alarmed, but Logan only seemed to get angrier as he yanked the darts out and made a rush for the guy with the flamethrower. Kurt barely managed to rush into his wake as the two of them kept trying to fight their way to Peter.

And Peter, meanwhile, was trying to fight his way to his friends, downright concerned about the green-colored darts sticking out of his teammates that were way too familiar to mean anything good at _all_. He was spinning and dodging as he tried to keep away from the Hydra agents, but not only was he running out of webbing ... he was running out of space that wasn't on _fire_.

It was clear the tide was turning against them when Peter heard Kurt shout for Logan — and a peek their direction showed him that Logan had gone down. And Kurt wasn't far behind him. A moment or two later, his swords clattered out of his hands; clearly, he'd lost his ability to grip the hilts. And then the soldiers nearest him dragged him down, beating on him as they'd done with Logan moments before, leaving Peter as the last man standing.

"This ... this is really very not good," Peter squeaked as he managed to flip over the shoulders of one of the Hydra goons and pulled him down to the ground with him in the same movement as he aimed his web shooters to tag another guy in the face. But he was pretty well surrounded, and he could only keep that up for so long.

He had turned to kick one of the Hydra guys when a wall of flames came up in front of him, and he scrambled backward — avoiding getting roasted alive but backing up right into one of the guys with the flamethrowers, who simply wrapped his arms around Peter from behind in a strong hold that not only kept him in place but also had him gasping as the guy started to squeeze the air out of Peter's lungs.

* * *

When Peter woke up again, he was absolutely, one hundred percent expecting to find out that he was in some horrible, horrible Hydra place. So he was a little surprised when, instead, his first thought was that it was actually pretty comfortable, and as he started to stretch and shift, he looked around to find that it looked… normal. A bed, a dresser… kinda like a basic apartment in Eight for any normal factory worker, only without any windows.

He glanced around for a moment, still unsure as to whether or not he was, well, a prisoner or something. It didn't _feel_ like it, but also… he didn't recognize the place.

He was starting to walk around, checking to see if he could figure out anything about this place other than the fact that it had no windows, when the door opened to admit none other than Norman Osborn, and Peter jumped back a good foot.

"Don't give a person a heart attack like that!" he squeaked.

"You're one to talk," Norman said, looking concerned. "Do you have any idea how close ... Peter. _Hydra?_ I thought SHIELD said they were gone!"

Peter swept his arms out openly. "Don't ask me!" he said. "They just showed up!" He glanced around the room. "What happened? Did you… did you get Kurt and Logan too? Did Hydra take them?"

At that, Osborn let out a breath and sat down heavily in the chair nearest Peter. "I'm sorry, Peter."

Peter's breath caught in his throat, and he sank into the nearest chair. "Where… did they take them somewhere?" Peter asked in barely a whisper. "Can we get them back?"

"No, Peter … that's ... " He let out a heavy sigh. "No. You don't understand … your friends, they're _gone_ , Peter."

Peter stared at Osborn for some time before he let out a hitched breath that was hiding a sob, his lower lip trembling. "You're wrong," he whispered.

"The lab is running what was in the darts they were hit with now," Norman said.

"You should let SHIELD look at it," Peter said. "They… they've had experience with… that kind of poison," he said, trying to keep his breath steady and failing miserably.

"It's too late for that, Peter," Norman told him gently.

Peter swallowed hard before he rubbed at his eyes with the back of his hand. "That… that's just… that's not how…" He swallowed again. "We should — does Kate know yet? Or Skye?" He paused. "Oh man. _Skye_."

"I couldn't tell you, Peter. SHIELD won't tell me anything."

"Right, yeah," Peter said with a nod, his head in his hands. He stayed there like that for a good long time before he finally glanced up at Osborne with shining eyes. "How'd you… the last thing I remember, one of those guys grabbed me."

"They went through one of my security zones," Osborn said. "Just sheer luck that they stumbled on one of the larger guard houses. And your friends took a fair number of them down. I'm told the carnage was … substantial."

"Yeah, that's my team," Peter said quietly. "Unstoppable." He made a little sort of strangled sound and swallowed hard at that, looking down again quickly. Osborne watched him with a perfectly sympathetic expression, and Peter took a moment to just… get his breath. "Thanks for, uh, for getting me out of there. I … I should probably call Coulson. He might not know…"

"Before you decide to do that, we should probably take a little walk. Let you get your bearings. Compose yourself."

"He… really should know," Peter said uncertainly, though even he had to admit that he wasn't much up to reporting that his friends had been killed.

"I'm sure he should," Osborn agreed. "But please, take a moment for yourself."

Peter took a deep breath and nodded, just sitting in silence for a moment. He probably would have taken longer to feel totally miserable, but he just… wasn't all the comfortable with Mr. Osborn watching him. Maybe when he got home… found Kate…

"Hey, you haven't heard anything new about Gwen, have you?" Peter asked, looking up at last. "That's why we were here."

"I have, as a matter of fact," Norman said. "You should have come to me first."

Peter almost instantly straightened up, unable to stop the totally hopeful expression. "Good news?" he asked.

"I believe so," Norman said. "She's agreed to go to work for me. And I hope you'll do the same."

Peter stopped, totally still as he glanced up at Osborn again. "She… wait a minute." He got to his feet, his hands clenched tightly. "How long has she _been_ here?" he demanded.

"Calm down, Peter," Norman said. "I'll take you right to her if you can relax."

"If I can — _calm down?_ " Peter was instinctively moving his hands to his his web shooters, though he realized after the fact that they weren't there — and he'd run out of web fluid back in the fight anyway. "Calm down? _How long have you had Gwen?_ "

Osborn let out a sigh and got to his feet. "I'm sure you already know the answer to that, Mr. Parker."

Peter glanced around the room, but he couldn't see anything useful — not his comm, not his webshooters, not even a window. Not even a lamp or something he could throw and feel better. "If she's hurt… if you did _anything_ …" he said, starting to all but pace in place.

"If you're going to be difficult, you can stay here until you find your manners," Norman said, losing his gentler tone entirely.

Peter turned toward him, still totally livid, but he took a deep breath and tried to force a calmer expression, holding up his hands. "Where is she?" he asked in an attempt at a softer voice.

"In the lab, of course," Norman replied.

Peter swallowed. "I'd like to see her," he said carefully.

"Certainly," Norman agreed. "You'll have your own section of the lab, of course."

"Is that what you've been doing with Miles? And Jess? And Johnny Storm?" Peter asked, trying to keep his voice from rising.

Norman just smirked and let out an almost inaudible chuckle. "I'll answer your questions in the lab."

Peter took a moment to clench his fists before he nodded. "Alright. But I want to see Gwen. Not just the lab. Gwen."

"Now, Peter," Norman said. "No reason to act like this is some kind of hostage situation."

"You _kidnapped_ …" Peter saw Osborn raise an eyebrow his way and gulped in a breath. "Don't lie to me. Please. I'm not as stupid as I was when I was a kid, and I don't believe it anymore."

"I'm not lying to you, Peter. I'll take you to Gwen and show you your lab. It's all very civilized."

"Except the kidnapping part," Peter muttered under his breath before, more audibly, he said, "Lead the way," with a wide and sweeping gesture.

Norman did just that, leading by several paces as Peter scanned the halls, trying to find a way out … For a moment, he considered just cracking Norman in the back of the head, all the way up until they got to the glass walls of the lab — where he could easily see inside, in a white lab coat …

"Gwen!" Peter rushed to the lab walls, totally melting in relief to see that she looked fine, she looked alright, she was _alive_. He pushed his way through the doors and didn't bother with anything except to run right to Gwen, who seemed totally surprised to see him there.

"Peter?"

In just a few steps, Peter had simply wrapped his arms around Gwen, and she all but melted into him, both of them clutching each other close and relieved to see the other unharmed — and not even caring, at least for a moment, that everything else around them was so very bad.


	13. It's a Trap!

**Chapter 13: It's a Trap!**

When Kurt woke up again, everything was still very fuzzy, and what wasn't fuzzy was sore and painful to move. But now that he _was_ awake, he pushed himself up, looking around with wide eyes as he tried to claw his way back into consciousness

He spotted Logan several yards away, though only because it looked like the two of them had drawn a crowd, and a few people had crouched down beside Logan to see if he was still breathing. The onlookers were giving both unconscious boys a bit of a wide berth, but someone had apparently stepped forward to investigate.

When Kurt started to sit up, though, the crowd of bystanders took a murmuring step back, and Kurt frowned, rubbing at his forehead as he tried to force feeling back into his limbs. By the time he'd managed to get to his feet, the crowd was thicker and decidedly less friendly as a few of them looked like they were just waiting for Kurt to do something.

He tried to ignore the stares and glares as he made his way over to Logan, checking quickly to make sure he was still _breathing_ — since, all things considered, those darts were a real worry — before he gently started to shake his friend awake. "Logan," he whispered urgently. "Logan, I don't see Peter anywhere."

It took some doing, but finally, Logan opened his eyes and almost startled — though if it was because of Kurt or the strangers around them, Kurt wasn't quite sure. "Where'd he go?"

"I can't say. But, Logan… the fact that he's not here…" He let out a sigh. "I think he was right."

"Little shit's got a streak going," he replied thickly. "Don't tell 'im."

"I think he knows," Kurt pointed out.

"Not the same as admittin' it."

Kurt had to chuckle the slightest bit as he offered his friend a hand up, though when Logan took it, he quickly realized that he wasn't exactly a stable anchor for as sore and still fuzzy as he was.

"I think we need a prop, Elf," Logan said, stumbling until he ran into a light post heavily — to sounds of concern from several in the crowd around him. "I might be wrong, but this could be the time to call for backup."

Kurt nodded, though when he patted his waist, he couldn't find his comm. "I don't suppose you managed to keep hold of your comm?" he asked.

Logan looked honestly confused as he tried to keep upright leaning on the post and patted where the comm should be. "No. But that was a longshot."

Kurt sighed. "We need to get back to the jet," he said, starting to head that way himself, though when it became clear that the two of them were trying to leave — and failing in their endeavor, one of the bystanders approached, carefully, offering a hand to Logan.

"Need a ride?" the man offered with a small frown. "You don't… look so good."

"Just a little help keepin' upright," Logan said, nodding the slightest. "Thanks."

"Well, where are you headed?" the man asked as he slipped under Logan's arm. "I'm sure I can get you there."

"I dunno," Logan admitted, still nearly slurring his words. "Kurt does, though."

The man's frown simply deepened for a moment before he nodded, almost haltingly. "Well, I said I'd help," he said, still with that same quiet frown.

Logan extended his free arm to Kurt, and the three of them started out with Kurt quietly giving directions. Once they arrived at the jet, the man quickly gave them a nod as Logan made a point to shake his hand and thank him before he stepped back to take his leave of the two of them — though neither Logan or Kurt were still in any shape to fly.

"I guess it's my turn to call Dad," Logan said.

Kurt nodded. "He's going to be upset," he said softly.

"He's not the only one," Logan pointed out as the two of them took their time getting into the plane and then longer to get up to the cockpit. When they were finally seated, Logan flipped on the comm and tried the direct line to Coulson to report what had happened. "I get it if you're busy. We can just … sit here 'til the drugs wear off, but neither of us could get the bird off the ground right now," Logan concluded after he'd filled Coulson in on what they knew and Peter's theory. "Had to get help to get this far."

"I'll send someone," Coulson said, and though they could only hear him, it was obvious that he was upset at the least, frustrated as well, and just _mad,_ if his tone was anything to go by. "Just sit tight."

After the radio clicked off, Logan let out a sigh and leaned back as far as he could. "I'm not sure that was Hydra."

"What makes you think that?" Kurt asked with a frown.

"That dart was too nice," Logan said frankly, turning his head Kurt's direction. "I know what they were producing. That … ain't it."

"Too nice?" Kurt repeated, shaking his head. "That _is_ a dealbreaker for Hydra."

"The formula they planned to arm their soldiers with would have been excruciating. That was more like a nap."

"Yes, well, even so, the beating on defenseless dart victims felt very Hydra-esque," Kurt said with one eye closed in a wince.

"Fair point," Logan agreed. "But same could have been said for Nova Corps. Or just soldiers in general."

"If it isn't Hydra, then who do you think it is?" Kurt asked.

"I've got no idea," Logan replied. "Everyone I thought was in on it was already taken off the list."

"Then we'll have to start over," Kurt said with a sigh. "And perhaps ask our more scientific friends to get somewhere safer. If Peter's right, then people like Tony… Kitty… Kamala… perhaps even Forge or others who weren't victors or Tahiti members but were tied to our group. After all, they attacked Happy… though he was working for Stark Industries security…"

"I'm sure Coulson's on all that right now," Logan said thickly. He was quiet for a moment. "I feel like we should get out of the cockpit, but …"

"We'll move when our backup arrives," Kurt said with a nod, leaning against the seat.

It wasn't long before both of them were passed out again in the warm plane, and it felt as if no time had passed when their back up arrived and got right to looking both of them over. May was just shaking her head as she practically pulled Logan out of the pilot's chair once she was done, a deeply settled frown on her features. "You two…"

"Are grounded?" Kurt drawled out. "We know."

She had to chuckle at that. "Right. Simmons is going to want to analyze anything that's left over from those darts," she said, more Logan's way than anything else.

"I'm sure she'll find plenty in him," Kurt replied. "He got _two_ darts."

"Yes, Coulson did tell me as much," May said patiently. "If you feel the need to pass out again, please try not to drool on the controls on the way to the Triskellion."

Kurt let out a derisive little noise and looked mortally offended for all of about two seconds before he nodded and leaned back. "I think that's reasonable."

May smirked his way as she got the plane in the air, shaking her head to herself. For as concerned as she was, there was undeniably something entertaining about the fact that those two were hilarious under the influence.

* * *

 _August 1_

 _District Eight: Osborn's Underground Lab_

* * *

"Well… at least I've got Gwen," Peter muttered to himself as he made his way down to the lab that Osborn had him, Gwen, Miles, and, on occasion, Jess working in. It wasn't exactly the way he had been planning to spend his nineteenth birthday, but it was better than spending it wondering where Gwen was, which was the prospect had had been facing just a few days ago.

Yeah… he was really reaching to find the silver lining here.

A lot of the stuff Osborn had asked him to work on at least wasn't quite as … off-putting as what Gwen and Miles were working on. Gwen had always been better at the biochem, though the stuff on their desks was more 'biochemical warfare' than 'science fair project,' and both of them knew it.

Peter's… was more like how to build a better death trap. How to keep people from poking their nose into Oscorp business.

Pretty much how to keep his friends from finding him, actually. He was trying to work out how to design a flaw in it without Osborn catching it, but unlike with biotech, Osborn actually knew his stuff when it came to this kind of engineering project, so it would be incredibly difficult.

He was thinking about trying to program in something… something that only his friends would know to say or do.

But in any case, he had Gwen. And that was what he was focusing on that morning as he found his girlfriend sitting at her desk, already knee deep in reading over the previous day's notes.

"Hey," she said with a little smile when he kissed her cheek. "You're in a weirdly good mood."

"Well, trying to make the best of the birthday," he said, and her eyes widened as she spun to look at him. He grinned sheepishly. "Yeah… it's been that long," he said in answer to her unasked question.

"I guess it has been," she said, shaking her head for a moment before she quickly kissed him. "I'm sorry; I totally lost track!"

"Can't imagine why," Peter said, and Gwen had to roll her eyes at him.

"Still," she said as she pushed out of her chair and got to her feet so she could wrap him up in a hug. "If I'd have _remembered_ , I would have… I don't know. Done something."

"Paper airplane with an 'I love you' on it?" he teased.

"Sounds about right," she agreed with a little laugh.

"You know, before the Games, I kind of always figured I'd be working for Norman when I got older," Peter said. "But this is just …"

"Yeah," she had to agree, nodding fervently. "I was thinking the same thing — at least, when I first got started." She let out a sigh. "It's almost just… normal at this point. If that's even possible."

"Spiders," Miles said in a stage whisper. "Go find a corner to web up or something."

"Sorry, Miles," Gwen said with a slightly pink tinge to her cheeks.

"No, I mean it. Go. I've got this covered. Happy Birthday or … whatever."

Peter just had to grin at his fellow spider. "Glad to know my little spider-brother has my back," he teased as he pulled Gwen by the hand to try to take advantage of Miles' offer for privacy. They were trying to find a blind spot, somewhere they wouldn't get yelled at or anything like that, when they heard footsteps down the hall.

They peered around the corner to see Jess and Johnny coming down the hall. At the end of that hallway was the single path _out_ , which meant they had either just come from talking with Norman or just come back from a mission or both — though it looked like they were gearing up again to go out.

Curiosity overtook the two spiders, and Gwen poked her head out from around the corner. "What are you two up to?" she asked.

"Nothing," Jessica said automatically. "What are you two doing out of the lab?"

"Stretching our legs," Peter said. "Just… taking a break." He rubbed the back of his neck and figured honesty was the best way to get an answer out of Jessica Drew. "It's my birthday, so we wanted to just… take five seconds and _have_ a birthday, you know?"

She looked him up and down, though it looked like Johnny hadn't so much as blinked as Jessica nodded. "Well. Happy Birthday. Don't get caught."

"We don't plan to," Gwen said. She shifted a bit as she looked over the two victors. "And seriously, what are you up to? It's not like we're gonna tell anyone."

"Seriously, it's not your problem," Jessica said, though she took Johnny by the arm and gave him a little squeeze before he seemed to wake up partially and move the way he was pointed.

"Is he okay?" Peter asked before he could stop himself. "I mean, if you two were out ... we _have_ a lab, and we don't mind spending my birthday helping out if there's something wrong."

"He's fine," Jessica said without turning around until she and Johnny were in the elevator.

Both Gwen and Peter frowned at each other. "Yeah… that's…" Gwen shook her head.

"Yeah," Peter had to agree, staring after the closed elevator doors with a deepening frown.

"Peter," Gwen said, her eyebrows raised. "Are you sure you want to do what you're thinking of doing?"

"Who else is gonna stand up for anybody down here?" Peter asked. "Norman's got Jess totally twisted up and singing his tune. And Miles… he's too young for Norman to take him seriously." He shook his head and straightened his shoulders.

"Because he takes you so seriously," Gwen said with a roll of her eyes.

"He has to," Peter insisted. "I mean, he wanted me here, right?"

"He wanted them here too," she pointed out.

"Yeah, but he didn't … turn us into… whatever he did to Johnny," Peter said, feeling his temper flare at the thought of it. "Or even what he did to Jess."

"You don't know what he did," Gwen whispered. "Or if he did anything."

"You really think Jess would just… be his errand girl? Come on, Gwen," Peter said, shaking his head in disbelief. "You saw how they were back when they were our mentors. She can't stand him."

"I know," she replied, looking down the hall over her shoulder. "I just … don't know what changed."

"I'm gonna find out," Peter said with a little nod before he quickly added, "If nothing else to keep him from doing it to you or to Miles or to me."

"And there's my superhero," she said with a smirk.

He grinned at her and pulled her in for a quick kiss. "It's a tough job, but somebody's gotta do it, ma'am," he said, grinning wider before he kissed her once more and then took a step back. "I'll meet you back at the lab, probably," he said, straightening up and pulling his shirt down a bit before he pointed himself straight down the hall toward where he knew he'd find Norman.

He came to a stop outside Norman's door and just… waited once he'd knocked. If Jess was busy with Johnny, Norman was going to have to come out if he wanted to make Peter go back to the lab, and that would be when he'd call him out on… whatever the heck was going on with the resident victors.

"Mr. Parker," Osborn called out in a business-like tone. "Is there something amiss with your lab?"

"Uh, yeah. The victors around it are screwed up, and I want to know why," Peter said with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Excuse me?" Norman said with a frown as he got to his feet. "What exactly does that mean, Mr. Parker?"

"It means you have Jessica Drew basically running all your dirty work, and I don't even _know_ what's up with Johnny, but I have never seen him that quiet before," Peter said, his chin thrust out as he put on his best determined glare.

Norman tried to play it off with a little laugh. "Miss Drew and I have a business understanding," he said. "And clearly, you haven't spent _that_ much time with Johnny Storm, because he does, from time to time, become terribly silent."

"I've only seen him that quiet once, and that was after his sister died," Peter said in a quiet voice that was still somehow angry. "So something has to be _wrong_."

"As a matter of fact, we are coming up on that anniversary," Norman tried to deflect. "I'm sure you recall what that's like — the first anniversary after a loved one's death?"

Peter paused, trying to remember when Sue and Ben Grimm had died. It _had_ been late in the summer… "I don't believe you," he finally decided.

At that, Norman looked up from the papers he'd been going over on his desk and let one particular stack fall. "Well. Lucky for you, the event was televised. Would you like to watch Ben Grimm in living color as he died trying to protect Johnny?"

"No," Peter said, a bit wide-eyed. "I just ... don't believe that's what's going on here."

"What do you want to hear, Peter?" Osborn asked, frowning deeply. "Tell me so we can make this quick. I have plenty to do that doesn't involve twenty questions."

"I want to know what you _did_ to him — to Jess too," Peter said, crossing his arms once more. "It's not just that you have an agreement. And if Johnny was just mourning, he wouldn't be… doing whatever he's doing with Jess."

"Then I'm sorry to disappoint you. Miss Drew does indeed have an agreement. She'd be worthless to me if she wasn't able to use her full mental facilities."

"Yeah, but, see, that line might work on someone who didn't help one of his best friends back from actual brainwashing. Because Hydra wanted Logan's mind too. So. Tell me what you did," Peter insisted, even going so far as to raise his voice a little. "I'm not going to let anyone else get _taken over_. Not if I can help it."

Norman let out a disbelieving little laugh. "Is that what you think? Really. It's a shame you put that time and effort in. Particularly because you're _wrong._ I read the notes. Hydra never wanted his mind. He was a lab rat. Right to the end. And it's a good thing too, or Storm would be in the same boat as your two little friends."

Peter stilled as he stared at his old mentor. "...What?"

"Which part, Peter? I don't have time for this; I thought you understood that." Norman was already taking a seat at his desk again, his glasses perched on the bridge of his nose as he went over the reports in front of him.

"The… part about Johnny. And Logan," Peter said, his tone much quieter.

Norman took the glasses off and leaned forward on one elbow. "The neurotoxin was one that Hydra threw out in their quest to find, essentially, a neural disruptor to use on those they wanted to _use_. We picked it up. It works perfectly. We knew everything but the dosage, but that's all sorted out now. Rather nicely, I might add."

Peter stared at his old mentor openly. "You… you poisoned my friends… and you're poisoning Johnny with the same…" He felt his hands clench into fists, and he was almost shaking with rage.

Norman watched him for a moment, then picked up a remote that seemed to have security footage cued up — with the fight where Peter had been picked up ready to roll. He didn't say anything, simply allowing Peter to watch his friends go down, until the loop started up the second time around. "All of my guards carry those darts, Mr. Parker. Think about that before you do something rash."

Peter just stood there for a long moment, his hands clenched in tight fists as his gaze was locked onto the screen that showed the last moments of his friends' lives. "Fine," he managed through gritted teeth. "You can just sit here in this office all day, but here's something fun: you won't have any paperwork from me, because I quit."

Norman didn't even look up from his work as he chuckled. "And how do you think you'll manage that, Mr. Parker? You can't leave."

"But you can't make me invent anything either," Peter argued. "Not anything useful, anyway. I bet I could design a really good merry-go-round."

"We'll see about that, Peter," Norman said. "Enjoy your little tantrum — and hope that the last member of your team doesn't come looking for you."

"You've got it backwards, Norman," Peter said. " _You'd_ better hope she doesn't find this place or you'll be wearing arrows all over your handmade clothes."

But Norman wasn't listening anymore and instead just let out a sigh of longsuffering. "Everything was easier when the dead tributes just stayed dead."

"Yeah, wouldn't want you to lose your winning streak," Peter bit out. "You seem so put out by the whole thing." He glared at Norman before he spun on his heel, completely intent on following through as he headed, not for the lab, but for the room that had been set aside for him so he could stage a proper sit-in.


	14. Blushing Biochemist

**Chapter 14: Blushing Biochemist**

* * *

 _Early Morning August 2_

 _Fitzsimmons' Lab in the Capitol_

* * *

Kurt and Logan had been at Simmons' mercy for the past few days since Peter had been taken by whoever it was that was targeting the kids and victors. Whatever had been in those darts was slow to metabolize, so it had taken some time before either of them were very aware

Kurt was the first to come out of it, and even though he was more or less back to awareness and life, he still was a little… off. Just a little slower on the uptake than usual, and not as quick-witted either. Logan, on the other hand, was still much deeper under the influence.

Coulson had already told the others in District Seven what was going on, but for the most part, they were keeping the whole thing under wraps, not willing to let anyone else know that they were there, in case someone came after them.

When Logan did finally wake up, it was when Simmons was, of course, putting in a new IV line. "Learn to say hello like a normal person," Logan grumbled, though he didn't move more than to turn his head her way.

"But then you'd have nothing to tease me about," Simmons said with a little laugh, though she sounded entirely relieved that he was waking up.

"Sure I will," he argued. "Always something." He waited a beat or two before he frowned. "You change your name yet?"

Simmons stopped short and stared at him before she started blushing horribly. " _Really_."

He grinned crookedly her way and waggled his eyebrows. "Yeah. You both gotta do it. Make it official."

"If we both did, we would still be Fitzsimmons," she pointed out, not taking him seriously at all.

"Yes. Exactly. No more differentiating the two. Just …" He clasped both hands together. "Smoosh it up."

"Aren't you a little… overeager?" Simmons chuckled.

"Well, somebody's gotta be," he countered.

"At the rate you go, you seem to think you're in charge of setting up all our dates and important changes," she teased. "What _do_ you do when you're not coordinating our lives?"

He let out a weary breath and closed his eyes. "I just want to see it happen before I _die._ "

"Logan, you're going to live another eighty years. I think that's plenty of time."

"You don't know that," he said with a frown.

"It could be closer to ninety — with as much of the Tahiti drugs as they've used putting you back together during the war, I wouldn't be surprised in the least if it made you more resilient," Simmons said, shaking her head.

"You're full of it," he said, trying to go back to sleep.

"Have you ever known me to _lie_ about my _science_?" she asked, sounding incredibly offended.

"I'm not arguing the science," he replied. "You're just … ridiculously optimistic."

"That's just the way I am," she told him with a little smile as she patted his arm.

"He's just saying you're not factoring in the _job_ ," Kurt called out.

Simmons waved her hand. "Oh, please. Like I'd ever let either of you slip through my fingers."

"You won't get a choice in the matter," Logan said.

Simmons shook her head at both of them. "If you say so," she said, waving him off with one hand.

"When do we go back?" Kurt asked, trying to sit up straighter, though it was clear he was still dizzy.

"I can probably sign off on _you_ flying in the next day or so," Simmons told him. "And Logan can stay with Skye after that until he's fully recovered."

"Where's Petey?" Logan asked. "You found him, didn't you?"

Simmons frowned and looked toward Kurt — she'd already told him, but Logan hadn't been aware. "Not yet," she admitted. "By the time SHIELD got to where the three of you were attacked, there was no sign of him — and the crowd you attracted trampled most of the evidence we could have used."

"SHIELD couldn't find its own ass with both hands, a road map, and a flashlight," Logan rumbled.

"We did our best. Fitz went with them," Simmons said with a frown.

" _We_ could have found them," Kurt said belligerently.

"Whoever did this _wiped_ their tracks," Simmons argued.

"I still coulda found 'em," Logan said quietly.

Simmons let out a breath, drumming her fingers against the table.

"He's not wrong," Kurt agreed.

"We're _going_ to find them," Simmons said. "It's just a matter of time."

Logan turned on his side so he could face Kurt and try to whisper around her. "She wants to get rid of us now for being right. She can't stand it."

Simmons rolled her eyes at that, but Kurt was just chuckling to himself.

"Well, he's not wrong," Fitz agreed from the other side of the room.

"Oh, stop it. All of you," Simmons said, shaking her head at the three boys. "You're all horrible." She gathered up a few of her test results as she spoke.

"Then why do you keep comin' back?" Logan called out.

"Because I need someone to poke with needles!" she called back to him as she headed for the door.

"Fitz, your girlfriend's got a weird way of flirting."

"I don't think it's weird," Fitz said with a little laugh that had Jemma huffing at him on her way out. He was still chuckling as the door closed and then shook his head. "We really did try everything in Eight," he told the two boys. "I had the dwarves running for 24 hours just trying to track anything down."

"You're not going to start sending them on missions, are you?" Logan asked, still looking a bit too doped up.

"I already do, remember?" Fitz laughed. "What do you think? Agent Sleepy?"

"No, no," Kurt said, waving one hand with a chuckle. "This one is Agent Stabby."

Fitz laughed outright. "Oh, yeah. That's his name."

"I'm not even mad," Logan said, eyes closed.

"That's because it fits," Kurt said, nodding thoughtfully.

Logan grinned, though he didn't open his eyes. "That makes you Agent Squishy."

"No, no. Agent Swashbuckles."

"You haven't buckled any swashes lately, Elf."

"You forget that fight we had on the water," Kurt laughed.

"Trying to, yeah."

"It's because you lost, isn't it?"

"I did not lose," Logan said, sitting up.

"How would you know? You've forgotten the fight entirely," Kurt laughed.

"What was the payout for then?" he asked, frowning.

"The removal of our shirts, if I remember right," Kurt said. "I may not remember right, admittedly."

"What the hell is going on out in Seven?" Fitz asked.

"Piracy," Kurt replied, laughing.

"By America," Logan said, smirking crookedly.

"American piracy," Kurt agreed, starting to laugh harder. "The worst kind."

Fitz shook his head at the two of them. "I don't know how much to believe of what you two are saying," he said.

"Just don't swordfight around America unless you're okay with her being handsy. Cold. Cold hands handsy."

"I thought she was engaged?" Fitz asked, tipping his head to the side.

"Didn't seem to stop her," Kurt giggled.

Fitz shook his head once more, though he looked toward the door. "What is taking Jemma so long?" he asked himself.

"Probably found someone that didn't have enough holes in 'em," Logan muttered.

Fitz shook his head. "She was just going to drop off her notes…" he muttered. "I'll go get her. She's probably been distracted — or there might be news…" He slipped around to the other side of the lab and out the door that Simmons had exited — though when he went to the room next door, he didn't see any sign of her.

"Jemma?" Fitz called out, breaking into a jog as he peered into a few of the nearby rooms — still with no sign of his girlfriend.

He was starting to panic a bit, running down the hall as he called her name — but still, he couldn't find her. There was simply… no sign of her. Anywhere.

Now fully panicked, Fitz rushed to the panel near the wall of the main lab and keyed in the code for an emergency — and the alarms blared.

Back in the lab, Kurt was trying to talk to his friend, who was increasingly making less and less sense, though both of them seemed to wake up considerably when the alarms went off and the doors to the lab slammed shut — sealing the two of them in.

They shared a look for a moment, and Logan shook his head. "I am _not_ kissing you."

"Good, because I don't want to have to stab you."

"Lecherous Elf," Logan muttered as he settled back in.

The two of them waited for a good long while before someone outside the lab finally poked her head in — though it wasn't either of the usual scientist visitors.

"We're leaving," May said, without any preamble, as she got to work getting the IV lines out of Logan. "Can either of you two walk, or am I carrying you?"

"You can carry him," Logan said. "I think I can make it."

"You're worse than he is," May pointed out, even as Kurt tried to help the situation by trying to get to his feet.

"With more experience bein' that bad," Logan pointed out as he let his feet dangle off the bed.

May shook her head as she helped first Kurt and then Logan to get up, though both of them would need someone to lean on. She pursed her lips and looked between the two of them before she sighed and ducked out again, returning with a frazzled-looking Fitz.

"You're with Kurt," May told him, practically guiding him over. She put her arm around Logan's shoulders as she started to hustle the group of them out the door. "Fitz. Move."

"What's goin' on?" Logan asked as they rushed down the hall.

"There's been a security breach," May told him, looking furious. "No one can locate Simmons. We're getting you and anyone else related to the Games _out_ of the Triskellion."

"But they already proved they don't want us," Logan pointed out.

"You told me Peter's theory that they're snatching scientists, yes," May said testily. "But they've already proven they'll kill anyone else, and I'm not taking the chance that they'll come back to finish the job with you two — or the chance that they'll come back for anyone in the labs," she added, with a little look Fitz's way.

Logan gave her a crooked smile. "You're gettin' a kiss before you leave."

"Please don't," May said, shaking her head as she kept up the pace down the hall.

"But you're so _concerned._ "

"It's my job to make sure you don't get killed," May pointed out.

Logan looked over his shoulder to Kurt and Fitz. "You're her favorite."

"That's because he knew her longer," Kurt said, tipping his head toward Fitz, who didn't look amused in the least, instead just… upset.

"And he's afraid of her," Logan agreed.

"But we're not," Kurt said, nodding sagely. "We know better."

May shook her head at both of them, but it wasn't long before they hit the hangar, and May wasted absolutely no time making sure they were in the air and no one was following them, yanking out tracking equipment as she went.

Kurt and Logan were asleep again when they got to Seven, though at least there was a larger group to help get the two of them into the house.

"Are you going to be staying, then?" Kitty asked as she and Skye helped get Logan inside.

May paused and glanced first at the still shell-shocked Fitz and then at Skye, who looked hopeful. "Yes," she said with a small nod. "I'll stay until the security around here is a little stronger. I'm sure Fitz can upgrade it, but in the meantime, I'm not taking any chances, especially with such a large concentration of you in one place."

"Smitty'll help," Logan said. "Just have Mr. Kenneth talk to him."

"I want to keep the circle as small as possible. Only people who already know you're here," May told him.

"Smitty more or less raised me; he knows I'm here. He knows everything that happens around here."

She nodded once. "Then set it up. I'm going to clear out Coulson's old office — for the time being."

"Everything's still set up the way he left it," Skye said. "All the comms and connections."

"Perfect." May shot her a little smirk. "Now I just have to clear out his collection of antique nonsense."

"Then what are you going to longingly stare at?" Logan teased before he leaned away from Skye and Kitty to plant a kiss on May's cheek. "You know... To force that sour look."

She gave him an incredibly dry look. "I'm sure I'll come up with something."

* * *

 _District Eight_

 _Osborn's Evil Lair_

* * *

Simmons was still reeling from everything that had happened. One minute, she was on her way to file her results, and the next, there was a cloth bag over her head and she was trying unsuccessfully to get _away_ from whoever it was that had surprised her. She had even tried to put to use some of the tricks she'd learned from Logan, but it had been so _long_ since she'd had anything like those kinds of lessons that she simply didn't remember all of it, and whoever it was that had grabbed her seemed to anticipate her attempts to break free.

She knew that she wasn't in the Capitol anymore simply because of how much time had passed, but she had no concept of where she was beyond that or who she was with. Her captors were entirely silent, and it felt like she had just gone from one hallway to a transport to another hallway that echoed in a duller manner when they walked than the Triskellion did. Sort of muffled ... though that might have been the bag.

When, finally, the bag had been removed and none other than Norman Osborn, the former victor, was sitting there calmly at his desk, Jemma had to admit that a few things seemed to fall into place — specifically the pattern of who, exactly, was being targeted. But she didn't get to articulate that. She didn't really say much of anything at all, honestly, still reeling and off-balance and frightened. She had, after all, read the autopsy reports for Happy Hogan and Otto Octavius, and she was sure that was what happened to people who crossed the victor sitting in front of her — kidnapping or no.

She somehow wasn't surprised at all by the terms that Osborn laid out. He wanted her to work in his lab, and while everything he said was perfectly businesslike, she was entirely sure that there was some kind of 'or else' involved that she absolutely did not want to find out about.

That was how she ended up being escorted down a long hallway — this time without a bag over her head — by Johnny, who had a rather concerning sort of glaze to his expression that she was sure she could help with. If she was allowed the chance _to_ help.

When they arrived at the lab, Jemma startled when at first she thought she was under attack — and then quickly all but melted into the hugs from both Miles and Gwen at the same time.

"I'm so relieved to see you both," she managed to say after both of them had tried to simply squeeze the life out of her. "Though… I wish it was under different circumstances."

"Well, how long can it take if you're missing?" Miles said. "The magnetic pull from Fitz will bring them right here."

"Or it may just bring _him_ here," Simmons pointed out. "Isn't that what happened with you and Peter?" She turned to Gwen with slightly wide eyes. "He _is_ here, isn't he? Please tell me he's alright."

"Yes, Peter's here," Gwen replied. "Though he's been protesting … everything. Norman was particularly cruel on his birthday." She leaned closer to whisper. "Made him watch the video of Kurt and Logan … you know…"

"Of what?" Simmons asked. "Of the attack?"

"Yeah, and he made sure to let Peter know it was his fault they died."

Simmons blinked at her. "What are you talking about? They _died_? No, they didn't! Not unless something has changed in the last couple of hours! I was _just_ with them!"

"What?" Gwen said, looking borderline furious. "You have to tell him that. He's been beside himself."

"Of course I will," Simmons assured her, looking upset herself. "Dead… _really_. The neurotoxin in two darts for Logan wasn't even fatal, and Kurt was only hit with one."

"Neurotox- ooooh, that slimy rotten little …"

"Where's Peter now?" Simmons asked. "If he's that upset — well, at least we can ease his mind." She looked around the lab with a little frown. "Please tell me he's not… like … Johnny. _That_ … that is a serious problem."

"No, he's … still Peter. He's just been refusing to do anything. We thought he was channeling Logan, to be honest."

"Good for him," Jemma said with a little smirk. She wrapped Gwen up in a hug, simply relieved to see her still alive, before she did the same for Miles. "Don't worry. If I know Fitz, we'll all be out of here in now time," she promised.


	15. Hiding Again

**Chapter 15: Hiding… Again**

* * *

 _August 5_

 _District Seven_

* * *

Ever since Simmons had been snatched, both May and Coulson had made it a priority to get everyone else involved in Tahiti — as well as victors — somewhere safer. It had already been proven that the Triskellion wasn't going to cut it, but with Fitz — as well as Tony, when he arrived — working on mansion security, it seemed that District Seven and Howlett Manor was the best option for most if not all of the endangered kids.

"Careful there," Tony called out as he and Fitz worked on one of the jets — though he was a little late in his warning, and Fitz ended up hitting his head on the opened panel that Tony hadn't exactly mentioned to him was still open while Fitz was working on the underside.

May had asked Tony to keep the Capitolite scientist busy, since there was still no sign of his other half. Add to that the need to get the rest of the kids safely and _secretly_ back to the manor, and that was how the two of them wound up working on their jet, installing what basically amounted to invisibility panels.

They weren't _invisible_ , per se, no matter what both Hawkeyes insisted on calling it. It was more that they reflected and refracted light. But sure. Invisibility panels.

Fitz rubbed the top of his head and shot Tony a bit of a glare before he dusted his hands off on his pants. "Well, aside from open panels, everything looks fine down below," he said. "The girls can take the blackbird anytime — once we do a quick test in-flight to make sure the panels will activate while the plane is in motion."

"I doubt we'll have any shortage of volunteers to fly it," Tony pointed out as he finished up what he was doing and slammed the panel closed.

"Kate, Clint, and Peter have all already offered," Fitz pointed out.

"Yeah, it's a good thing we don't have everyone here yet, or that list would be even longer," Tony replied. "Rhodey can't resist a good test flight, either."

Fitz shook his head at that, falling silent as usual without a good project immediately in front of him. Thankfully, though, it looked like they wouldn't have to choose a pilot, seeing as May had been practically pacing outside waiting for the modifications to be done. She wanted to get Kamala Khan — as well as Luke Cage and Jessica Jones — out of District Eleven, especially with Miles missing and kids who had worked in the lab being targeted.

"It's ready?" she asked, tipping her head Tony's way.

"Just need to test it out in-flight," Tony told her. "They should respond the way we want them to, but if not, people might get suspicious about the giant cloud moving at mach 2."

May raised an eyebrow his way at that and then shook her head. "Once around the district, then," she said as she climbed into the jet. "Fitz, stay on the ground and record. Stark, you're with me."

"Yes ma'am," Tony said in a little sarcastic tone.

May cut him a dry look and then simply set to work getting the preflight done. She didn't speak, just watching him out of the corner of her eye as she did her thing, and honestly, Tony was a little disappointed to have her as the test pilot for what he thought was a _brilliant_ invention. She wasn't appropriately awed in the least when the refracting panels rendered them functionally invisible.

When they touched back down, though, Fitz was definitely appropriately excited. It was the biggest grin — and the only grin — Tony had seen on the guy's face since he had arrived in Seven, and he was practically bouncing.

"The panels work _beautifully_ ," Fitz declared. "Not even the slightest indication there was anything amiss!"

"Good," May said. "Then it does what it needs to do."

"Um. You're welcome," Tony said, looking put out. "Though a thank you would be nice."

May smirked his way. "I'll thank you after I get all our people back here. I'm not going to celebrate too early."

"Fair point. Godspeed," Tony said, throwing one arm in the air and just walking away. He knew he wasn't going to get anywhere with her fast.

Once the jet had been cleared for use, May simply reset the coordinates, and a few minutes later, Natasha arrived as well, climbing into copilot without a word spoken between the two of them; they were both half expecting trouble.

So they were pleasantly surprised when, aside from a belligerent drunk at Luke's bar who got himself thrown out by the proprietor before he could try anything with Natasha, they had next to no trouble in Eleven. Kamala's family was concerned after Miles' disappearance and was of course on board for sending their daughter somewhere safer — for the time being — and while Luke and Jessica _had_ pointed out that they weren't scientists in the least, May and Natasha combined were hard to say no to… especially when Natasha outright asked for help from Jessica in investigating their friends' disappearances.

"You mean this doesn't fall into strictly super spy criteria?" Jessica asked, with an expression that read she didn't believe it in the least.

"It falls into the 'we have absolutely no leads and I'm getting tired of seeing Fitz wilt' category," Natasha replied. "I'll take any help we can get, and you're a talented investigator."

"I'm going to want my own laptop," she said.

"That's fine," May said. "We'll make sure there's one in the room you and Luke had last time."

Jessica looked May up and down cautiously. "I'll be waiting in the plane," Jessica said. "Where did you park it?"

"Just outside of the city limits on the north end," May said.

Jessica looked up at Luke. "You coming?"

Luke looked around at the three women and then simply shrugged. "Alright."

With that taken care of, all that was left was to go to the Khan residence, where Kamala was already waiting on the doorstep with a couple of suitcases in hand and a pair of puffy eyes that told Natasha and May that she had been saying goodbye to her family. Her brother was waiting with her on the step and seemed to relax the slightest bit when he saw the welcome wagon.

"You're _not_ going to let my sister disappear like the others, right?" he asked with his arms crossed and a pointed look at the two women who had come for Kamala.

"Not a chance," May replied, meeting his gaze. "We're taking her to the safest place we have access to."

"And it's not permanent, right?"

"Aamir…" Kamala said in a tired tone.

"I'm just saying: last time, you were gone for _ages_ ," Aamir pointed out.

"Once the initial threat is over, we'll reassess, but I'm sure that if it's not safe for her to return, you will be allowed to come to her," May offered.

Aamir seemed to think about this for a moment before he nodded and then turned to Kamala to gently wrap her up in a hug. "Be safe," he said very quietly, and she nodded and sniffled the slightest bit before she rushed over to where Natasha and May were, clutching her suitcases.

"Have you found anything yet?" Kamala asked after a few moments of silence on their way back. "About Miles — or anyone? At all?"

Natasha paused and glanced at the younger girl. "Not yet," she admitted.

"You'd tell me if you'd found something out and it was bad, right?"

"Yes."

"Alright." Kamala bit her lip and seemed to shrink in on herself.

"All of your friends are waiting to see you," May told her. "Some of them were pretty concerned for you." She paused. "And you can train while you wait if you need an outlet for the excess energy and nerves."

"Is Logan still teaching?" Kamala asked, seeming to brighten the slightest bit.

"He will be," May said flatly. "He's been playing with Kurt, but that's about it."

"Well, I'm a little rusty. I hope that's alright. It's just… with the war done, I didn't think I'd _need_ it."

"You and just about everyone else," May assured her. "Just the more paranoid victors kept going."

"So… Logan," Kamala said with a little giggle.

"Yes, Logan." Natasha couldn't stop the smirk. "Exactly."

"I'm sure there were others too," May said, though she wasn't even trying to hide the little smirk she was wearing too. "But they were doing it in a much more closeted manner."

"Clint and I kept up the training," Natasha offered. "If Logan's busy swordfighting, you can always find me."

"Oooh, is he _training_ with swords?" Kamala asked, wide-eyed.

"Only every afternoon," May said, eyes forward.

"I have _got_ to get in on that," Kamala said, her eyes shining with excitement.

"I'm sure he won't say no to you," Natasha said with the same expression May was wearing.

"He absolutely won't," May said before she tipped her head Natasha's way and said very softly, "Master Po wants him teaching more."

"It's good for everyone involved," Natasha replied just as softly. "He's been sparring with me in the mornings."

"How's he looking after the drugs wore off?"

"Back up to snuff," she said. "Though decidedly less fun." She grinned. "The dopey sparring was … beyond entertaining."

"How so?"

"At one point, I told him we'd already finished and that I won, and he decided to take it at face value for about three seconds," Natasha chuckled.

"It's fun to watch the wheels turn."

"Especially in slow motion."

Both May and Natasha shared little chuckles as they got back to the plane, and from there, it was just a matter of getting Kamala's suitcases loaded up, checking that the panels Tony and Fitz had installed were working — and taking off.

* * *

 _August 10_

 _Howlett Manor_

* * *

Kamala really was glad to be back at the Howlett Manor. Really. She had missed having all of her friends in one place, and as more and more of them started trickling in and taking up the rooms that they had left unoccupied, she felt a little better about having to leave home all over again.

So the homesick feeling? That was lessening with every day and every new person. She got to hang out with Skye, who was _hilarious;_ pregnancy just seemed to have made her sassier and more likely to tease anyone in her path. She got to hang out with Kitty again — and she and Kitty were supposed to start getting sword lessons with both Kurt and Logan, which would be _amazing_.

But the thing was ... the more people came to the manor, the more it was glaringly obvious that they were missing several key residents.

Like her favorite Spiderman.

She felt a little stupid moping around about the whole thing, because it wasn't like she was the only one with someone missing. The other victors were upset because Jess was gone, and the whole of Team Awesome was worried about their missing member. Kitty missed Gwen as much as Kamala did. And even Tony seemed a little off, halfway blaming himself for that escort's death since, after all, the guy had been working for Stark Industries for security… and whoever was doing the snatching _was_ looking for scientists and tech people…

And she and Miles ... well, they were dating, which kind of made it harder, but they were also young enough that it wasn't like it was _serious_. Not like Peter and Gwen. Not like Kate and Kurt. They just… liked being around each other, and if Kamala had to hazard a guess at what being in love was like, she was sure that wanting to spend all your time with someone was the definition of it.

So yeah, maybe she had more cause than the others to be upset, but Miles had been missing for a long time now, and you'd think she would have gotten used to it.

She told herself all these things, repeatedly, even as she was miserably curled up in the living room couch pretending unsuccessfully to be reading a book instead of crying about something as stupid as the fact that she _missed_ Miles. Everybody missed Miles — and all the other missing people too. If she was going to get upset, it should be about something really awful. Because it wasn't like he was dead, right?

That was what Kate and Skye and Kitty and everyone else she talked to kept telling her: He wasn't dead. There was no way they would go to all the trouble of snatching them if they just wanted to kill them. If they'd wanted Miles dead, they would have hit him with a dart like they did to Kurt and Logan. Or just shot him like they did to Otto Octavius and Happy Hogan.

Though… that was really not all that comforting. After all, that meant Miles was trapped somewhere he didn't want to be, and there wasn't anything she could do about it at all.

Kamala let out a sigh and wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand. She was thinking herself in circles at this point, just… trying to calm down or trying to talk herself out of crying. Or maybe into crying. She really wasn't sure.

And in the hallway, Skye had finally pulled Logan aside to clue him in that their resident sweetie pie was getting more and more down. "I know you're going to work with her on her sword fighting, and other fighting, and all that, and that's _great_ ," Skye said in a rush before her tone softened a bit. "But … you need to go _talk_ to her."

Logan frowned slightly and tried to deflect. "I'm sure she'd rather talk to Scott or …"

"You," Skye countered, poking him in the chest. "Trust me on this one. I know what I'm talking about."

Of course, Logan thought she was blowing things out of proportion, but all things considered, he wasn't going to fight with her on it. So he gave her a kiss and headed out of the kitchen, sure that it would take him some time to find where their youngest was hiding. The fact that he had no idea where she'd go anyhow just made him more convinced that it would take longer to find her than it did.

So he was a little surprised to find her so quickly, and with no one around her — which he thought was strange, considering everyone loved the kid. "Mind if I join you?" Logan asked as he came to a stop behind her.

Kamala nodded with a sweet little smile and a very obvious brave front that was fooling absolutely nobody. "I was just reading," she lied, gesturing to the book propped open in her lap.

"Well, if I'm gonna be bothering you …"

"No, not at all," she said quickly. "Really. It's a big living room and… I don't mind company. I kinda prefer it, honestly." She shrugged both shoulders nearly up to her ears. "It's hard… the being alone lately."

Logan went around the couch and took a seat, giving her some room if she wanted it. "We're gonna find 'em," he swore. "You know that right?"

"Yeah, I do," she said quietly. "I just…" She took in a deep breath. "I'm just really _tired_. I thought we were done, but it seems like people aren't ever going to stop trying to _use_ everyone here," she admitted in a rush. "I don't want … I don't like being used."

He drew in a deep breath and simply watched her for a moment or two. "No one does," he said quietly. "But we can't just sit around and hope they'll stop, because it's never gonna happen. There's always gonna be someone else waitin' ' in the wings to take advantage if they can."

"That's… exhausting just thinking about it," Kamala said, biting her bottom lip as she looked even more down at the answer.

"Hey," Logan said, tipping his head down to catch her gaze. "I'm not gonna lie to you. It'd just make it worse the next time someone tried to use you." He put his hand on her shoulder. "Just got to be ready to stop them, that's all."

She sniffed and sort of halfway leaned over his way as she nodded. "I'm just really worried about Miles," she said quietly. "I don't know where he is or what… I mean… I don't know what's _happening_ to him…"

He adjusted the way he was sitting so he could pull her in a little better. "Hey. If it was Hydra — and I don't think it is — they'd be bragging about it. I don't think whoever it is wants to do anything permanent."

"How do you know that?" she asked, leaning into the hug and starting to sniffle.

"Kamala, how long was I stuck with Viper?"

"A while."

"She rarely let me out of her sight," he told her. "I know how they operate."

"But you said it wasn't Hydra," she pointed out, though Logan didn't miss that since she'd started sniffling into his shoulder, she at least looked a little more relaxed.

"Which just means it's a new player that doesn't want to use him for status."

"Bunch of science geeks," Kamala said with an attempt at a laugh. "No one's using _us_ for status."

"Right. But … if he was hurt, or drugged ... what good would he be?" Logan asked. "Think about it."

Kamala fell silent for a while as she chewed on her bottom lip and then just had to sigh out a long breath. "Yeah. Yeah, you're right," she said. "I just miss him is all. I mean." She sat up a little straighter. "Not _just_ Miles."

"It's okay to miss him more," Logan pointed out. "I'm not gonna say anything."

"It's just… it's kinda stupid, but he's turning sixteen in a week," she admitted. "And we had plans to spend the whole day together."

He watched her for a few seconds and then nodded to himself once. "Then I guess if he's not back, then we'll have to spend the day getting you ready to rescue him."

Kamala nodded and tried to straighten up, wiping at her eyes with the palms of her hands. "Thanks, Logan," she said, before she threw her arms around him for a quick hug.

"Anytime," Logan replied as he wrapped her up in a bear hug.


	16. You Know Who I Am

**Chapter 16: You Know Who I Am**

* * *

 _August 12_

 _Howlett Manor_

* * *

"I think… I might have something," Jessica Jones said, and both Bobbi and Natasha's heads came up at the pronouncement as they looked toward the door.

"Something's better than the _total zilch_ we've had for days now," Bobbi said, waving her over. "What've you got?"

"It's nothing solid, but there have been a lot more communications in and out of One," Jessica said. "And a lot of what I'm seeing is filled with red flags. I mean… One's always got a lot of red flags because of how Capitol-heavy it was, not to mention it's got a heavy concentration of ex-Nova Corps and corrupt former politicians. But some of this seems…" She put her hands on her hips. "Call it a hunch, but this doesn't feel like your straightforward 'rich guys being horrible' kind of thing."

Natasha looked over Bobbi's shoulder at the communications that Jessica had flagged and had to nod her agreement. They were far enough apart and not in an easily discernible pattern — easy to miss with a wide net. But the kinds of projects and specialities being talked about for 'mergers' and 'business' were incredibly familiar. The kind of thing that Fitz or Tony would work on — or Peter and Miles.

"It could be nothing," Jessica said. "I know some of the big families in Three are trying to get a good hold on One's market."

"Give the girl a few days and she knows the whole scene," Bobbi said Natasha's way with a smirk that Natasha returned.

Jessica rolled her eyes. "The _point_ is: the interesting thing about these is that they don't trace back to a name or a company."

That got both Bobbi and Natasha to raise their eyebrows. "So some anonymous person in One is asking about just the kind of thing the Tahiti lab rats would be up to?"

"Told you I might have something," Jessica said, smirking hard.

"Well we're not going to find anything just sifting through these," Bobbi pointed out with a small frown. "If they don't tie back to a name, we can only get so far with remote intelligence."

"So we need an 'in'," Bobbi said with a smirk. "Someone who will be your skeleton key for tech."

"That's easy," Natasha said. "We send in Stark. He's a big enough name that he'll be harder to just … disappear without someone noticing, especially in a place like One."

"You mean if he wants to go," Bobbi pointed out. "Isn't he more flash than actual action?"

"So we send him with someone," Natasha said with a shrug. "But he'll want to go — trust me. I'll tell him as much," she added, this time with a little smirk.

"Then I guess … we figure out who goes with him," Bobbi said. "I'm out, for oh, so many reasons."

"Can't be Pepper," Jessica added. "Even if that's who he's going to pick anyway."

"Should be someone who can fit in with the atmosphere of One," Natasha pointed out.

"You could do it," Bobbi said.

"The last time I was on a mission just me and Tony, I very nearly killed him," Natasha countered.

"Yeah, that's pretty much true of everyone who has to work with him," Jessica pointed out with a smirk.

"So, do we ask someone else to play bait?" Bobbi asked.

"He's very, very good for bait," Natasha said with a small frown as she thought it over.

They bounced around a few more ideas after that, but for the most part, the matter came down to the fact that whoever they sent would have to spend several days in close quarters with nobody but Tony… and whoever they sent had to be able to keep up with the culture of One. And there were very few people who fit that list.

So it was almost like a cue for Kate to pop her head in, chewing a piece of Jubilee's bubble gum happily as she did so. "Whatcha up to?" she asked around the big bubble she blew.

The other girls all looked her way at the same time with identical looks on their faces. "Waiting for you, apparently," Bobbi said with a growing smile.

"Of course," Kate said as if this was obvious. "And what miracle do you need me for today?"

"Do you think you can manage to tolerate Tony Stark for a mission?" Natasha asked.

"You'll be the heavy hitter," Bobbi added.

"Well," Kate said, surprising the girls when she hesitated — since she would usually rush into any chance to play hero. "What _kind_ of mission?"

"One you're not used to," Bobbi admitted. "Mostly dressing up and playing it up as arm candy."

"Sounds cushy," Kate said, starting to grin. "I thought you said I was the heavy hitter."

"Well, seeing as Stark isn't a field operative …" Jessica said haltingly.

"He'll need someone to cover his butt," Bobbi finished.

"So, arm candy for 'just in case' purposes," Kate summed up before she shrugged. "Sure. Why not? Can't be too horrible if you're sending in _Tony_ ," she said with a teasing grin.

"Well," Jessica hedged. "He's kind of our bait."

Kate paused at that. "Then we're going to need … let's see... couple thigh holsters at least, and I want someone on standby. I do _not_ need to get hit with those darts that got Logan and Kurt," she said, pulling a face.

"Who do you want?"

She had to stop to consider it, then shrugged. "Clint or Kurt," she said.

"Well, seeing as Coulson asked us to keep couples off of the same mission for now," Bobbi said with a tight smile, "I guess that narrows it down."

"I didn't hear about that rule," Kate said with a little frown.

"It's new," she replied. "Coulson thinks we'll go rushing in selflessly if it's someone we're involved with." She paused. "I mean, he's not wrong. If you or Clint or Hunter were in trouble, I'd be there in a heartbeat."

"And your whole team kind of has this … stupid selfless thing for its members," Jessica added. "So double whammy for you when it's Kurt."

"This is true," Kate nodded, though she took a second to think it over again. "Alright. Send Clint with me, and we'll both have emergency comms on. We'll stick to the good parties and keep our eyes out — not like anyone is going to just _grab_ us when there are _images_ to be upheld," she said, almost more to herself than anything else. She straightened out her shirt the slightest bit and then nodded. "Alright. But one of you two has to talk to Tony, because I'm not enduring the jokes and the flirting for any longer than I _have_ to."

"You got it," Jessica said, pushing back from the computer. "I'll break it to him that he's got to toe the line or pay the price."

"Yes; he'll believe it from you," Kate said with a little laugh. "Just let me get some things set before I go. I had a thing."

"Best parties aren't scheduled to happen until at least nine or ten," Bobbi said without looking up. "Nothing useful happens before then."

"Perfect. Plenty of time," Kate said, breaking into a wide grin before she simply bounded off, pleased with the mission she had. It didn't sound like it would be _too_ horrible — just play a little bait and let everyone else handle the big bads. She could totally pull this off.

One more mission. Just the one.

* * *

 _District One_

* * *

Tony and Kate arrived in District One dressed to impress. He had been going a little stir crazy being cooped up in District Seven anyway, and it was obvious that Kate _desperately_ wanted to get out and go on a mission, though she was a little more fidgety than usual.

Still, they looked stunning as a matched set. Kate had on an elegant, backless purple dress that reached all the way to the floor and concealed two thigh holsters, and Tony's suit was tailor-made, with a perfectly color-matched bow tie.

They were both outfits from The Line.

Bobbi had been right about what time to make their entrance, too — it seemed like the party was really getting going when they got there.

It was almost like a who's who of Marvel. All the most established businessmen and women were there — those that hadn't met a sticky end in the revolution, anyhow — which meant they weren't shady in _one_ area of life.

Of course, Tony was instantly recognizable to anyone who saw him, so they weren't going to want for company. Almost as soon as they walked in the door, the people who had come to schmooze were there, all of them offering congratulations on some new Stark Industries something or other or else just congratulating him on being alive at all, all things considered.

Kate had been to plenty of these kinds of events — though not quite to this level of snobbery — both before and after being part of Tahiti. She had slipped into her smiling and polite but never the center of attention merchant's daughter routine. She'd been through it enough times with her dad; she was there to look nice and to answer meaningless questions. Only this time, she was also there to watch for any potential threats, her gaze sweeping corners and exits and hallways without being obvious about it, the way she had been trained to do.

The real problem wasn't that it was hard to spot anyone who might be trouble; the problem was that they were _all_ shady characters. Not a one of these people looked that clean, and honestly, Kate didn't like the look of almost everyone she was introduced to.

But after making the rounds, the two of them finally got a few seconds to themselves, and Tony was already pouring himself some champagne to "deal with all these…" He waved a hand in the general direction of the gathered people as if that was a good enough description, and it really kind of was.

"Can't exactly bait out the bad guys when they're already _gathered_ ," Kate pointed out with a little frown.

"No, but we can wait and see which ones are most interested, outside of the polite ass kissing that's happened so far," Tony replied as he raised his glass to his lips and then quickly drained it.

"Oh, is that what that blonde was doing? That's a different kind of…" Kate trailed off with an impish smirk.

He gave her a devilish sort of grin. "Well, it is what it is. In the meantime," he said as he picked up a second flute of bubbly. "This does tend to ease the pain of the whole fiasco."

She just laughed and shook her head. "No, thanks. Remember, I'm the big, strong bodyguard."

"And I have full faith that you might loosen up enough after a glass to do backward kick flips or whatever the heck it is you guys do up there playing kung fu fighter."

"Really, I'm good," Kate assured him. "I appreciate it, but I'm good."

"Oh, come on. I know you had some at the marathon of weddings. You even said you liked it."

"I did, and I do. But we're kind of on a mission right now," Kate said.

He narrowed his eyes slightly and again offered her the glass. "Then hold it as a cover. I promise I'll drink it for you."

She tipped her head to the side, shrugged, and took the flute. "Sure, but now I'm just going to have to tease you that I'm nothing but a champagne-holder. Candy striper, but different."

"World's sassiest champagne charger," Tony countered.

"Mmm, no, I think you're forgetting a few adjectives there. Should be 'awesome' and 'beautiful' in there somewhere," Kate said, grinning.

"Well. Clearly those are givens," he replied with a little roll of his eyes.

"Oh, obviously," she agreed with a little laugh before she took his arm again. "Well, shall we test the waters, oh champagne-buzzed bait boy?"

"Are you saying I smell fishy? Because that sounds fishy. Just don't call me chum as you work through the sharks."

"Oh, never out _loud_ ," she agreed as she leaned on him a little more for effect.

"Tease," he said, chin high.

"And that's only halfway for my cover," she laughed.

He stopped, turned her way, and gave her a look. "Okay, we need to get you back to your Elf."

"Tony, I was teasing," she said, shaking her head at him as she lightly squeezed his arm. "You've never been _serious_ before."

He tipped his head her way but kept his eyes on the crowd. "And you've never turned down champagne before."

To Kate's credit, she didn't take her gaze off the crowd, either, but she did come to a stop beside him. "I told you," she said quietly, "I just… don't want to drink in this crowd."

He finally seemed to roll his entire body her way with a smirk and a raised eyebrow. "Can you say that while looking me in the eyes?" He was clearly fighting to keep from smirking outright, but his amusement still came through crystal clear.

Kate turned to face him, and after a long moment, she tried for a little smirk. " _That_."

"Ah…." Tony said, stopping her from flat out lying. "Come on now. Fess up."

She let out a breath and finally leaned in a little closer so they could speak at a whisper _no one_ would overhear. "It's my last mission, alright? I just wanted to _do_ something before they grounded me!"

His eyes were sparkling when she finally leaned back, and the grin was positively uncontrollable. "I _knew_ it."

" _Don't_ say anything," she said, shaking her head. "Just… don't… I haven't told Kurt yet, or you _know_ he wouldn't let me out, and this is an _easy_ mission."

"Got it, got it.… My lips are sealed," he promised, though he was still grinning broadly.

"Stop looking at me like that," she grumbled, though there really wasn't much heat to it.

"Like what? Like I'm _enjoying_ our time together?"

She turned toward him so he could fully appreciate the eye roll that she had going on. "Right," she said. She seemed to straighten up and lean on him further all at the same time. "Lead the way. I'm just the champagne coaster."

"An amazingly awesome, _lovely, glowing_ coaster."

"Shut up, Tony," she grumbled good-naturedly.

"Don't worry; no one will overhear me," he said, half laughing. "And I won't breathe a word when we get back. Pinkie promise."

"Good." She grinned at him and looked a little more the part of a girl enjoying his company as she added, quieter, "I've got it all set up to tell him when I get back. You'll probably _hear_ him from across the manor."

He rested one hand over his heart. "I _promise_ to be surprised." With a grin, he set both champagne glasses down and gently twirled her onto the dance floor. "Come on, Hawkeye — we need to make them all jealous."

The two of them stayed on the floor for a few songs, until Kate was laughing a little too hard and Tony was almost as out of breath as she was. "Enough for now?" he asked, prompting her to nod her head with a grin. Until she spotted some trouble brewing.

Kate recognized the cut of the suits of a few of the men approaching them when they made it off the dance floor again — she'd seen similarly dressed men placed throughout most of the party. She nudged Tony with her elbow and shot him a significant look before she painted on a giggly sort of smile by the time the men arrived.

Tony leaned forward to whisper in her ear. "What do you think they're after? Be precise now."

"Trouble, probably," she whispered back. "We'll see."

"You cannot possibly be Tony Stark," one of them said warmly as he extended a hand. "What brings someone of your renown to this little corner of the world?"

"In spite of the condition of things, it is _still_ one of the best places in Marvel — even if it's not what I'm used to," Tony replied easily, with a practiced smile, before he tipped his head once. "You know who I am. And you are?"

"James Wesley," the man said, matching Tony's smile.

"A pleasure, I'm sure."

"So, I hate to bring up something as dull as business, but I do feel the need to ask," Wesley said with a concerned look. "What _have_ you been up to for the duration?"

"Oh, you know how it is," Tony said with a wave. "Just being clever enough not to die again. Really."

"I would hope your more creative skills haven't atrophied while dodging trouble for so long," Wesley said seriously.

"Not possible," Tony said with a light shake of his head. "I only get better with age."

Wesley laughed. "The best things in life tend to follow that rule," he said. He paused before he began again. "May I ask: are you here on business or simple pleasure?"

"Oh, pleasure for sure," Tony said with a nod. "Needed a break. Figured I'd dust off this old suit and take a pretty friend of mine to a good party."

Wesley gave him a practiced smile. "Perhaps you could spend more than a little time here," he said. "I'm sure with your standing, you would warrant more than a short escape, especially after such trying times."

"That is entirely possible," Tony said with a thoughtful look. "Can you recommend a place to stay? Security is kind of an issue for me. I try not to take it lightly, all things considered."

Wesley regarded him carefully for a long moment before the smile widened the slightest bit and he reached into his suit pocket. "My card," he said with the usual drawl that accompanied such a statement before he scribbled something on the back with a pen handed to him by one of the much bigger men on either side of him.

"Could you—" Tony gestured to Kate. "I don't like being handed things."

It was a mark of how often she'd had to endure parties like this that Kate didn't outright roll her eyes at Tony as she took the card from Wesley with a polite smile and tucked it into Tony's suit pocket with a look in her eyes that she hoped conveyed how much she was going to get him in trouble later.

He smiled at her as he pulled the card from his pocket and read it quickly. "Thank you," Tony said distractedly. "Both of you. I'll be in touch." He gave Kate a warm smile before turning back to Wesley. "Now, if you gentlemen don't mind — it's still rude to ignore a pretty girl, isn't it?"

"Of course," Wesley said, taking his two associates with him.

When they were well out of earshot, Tony turned to Kate with a grin. "Nat makes it sound like it's _hard_ or something."

Kate had to keep from laughing. "Well, she doesn't have a name that makes people fall over frontward just to talk to her," she pointed out.

"I don't know; I think it's just luck."

She snorted. "Sure." She put on a slightly more practiced accent and imitated Wesley's manner. "Oh, Mister Stark. Could you possibly please speak with us peasants? Oh, Mister Stark, you're so very wonderful. Oh, Mister Stark…" She grinned at him.

"I am going to refrain from my usual commentary because I think you might actually be having a good time."

"If you tell anybody I admitted it, I'll flat out deny it and then get creative," she warned him. "But yeah. This is kind of fun."

"So, we ride out the party until it really gets rocking and leave; that's what I usually do anyhow," Tony told her. "Makes them think I have somewhere better to be."

"Well apparently you're in charge of this circus act," she told him.

He couldn't help but give her an obnoxious sort of smile and waggle his eyebrows. "I'll get my top hat and whip and it'll really get interesting."

She rolled her eyes. "Just dance with me, Tony. Before I decide I'm not having fun anymore."

He grinned as he pulled her out onto the floor without another word. The two of them were a whirlwind of social activity by the time the party really started to peak, and Kate was actually laughing her way through a good conversation with a group of well-dressed socialites when Tony seemed to think it was time to leave.

He approached the group with a tight, well-practiced polite smile as he took Kate by the arm and wordlessly pulled her back from the crowd. "Let's find something better to do," he said, just loud enough for those closest to hear. "This party's kind of … over."

Kate would have protested except for the fact that she knew she'd told Tony he was in charge of the leaving thing, so... "Lead the way," she told him sweetly.

They were halfway down the steps when they ran into Wesley again, and he was smiling a bit wider. "Mister Stark," he said politely, "If you wouldn't mind, my employer was hoping to take a moment of your time."

Kate and Tony glanced at each other with well-hidden frowns that were quickly replaced with more business-like expressions. They _had_ been hoping to be bait, but a man like Wesley just wasn't the name they actually _needed_.

Tony paused before his answer as he glanced between Kate and Wesley. "We sort of had plans…" he said with one arm around her.

"We won't be long," Wesley said. "I'll have your lovely companion sent ahead — if you're still interested in a place to stay, that is. She can wait for you there."

Kate didn't like it, but she and Tony shared a look, and he nodded at her, still wearing his 'public' smile. It was their best option to find a name, but all the same, she pretended to be tucking her hair behind her ear as she tapped out a quick signal to Clint that he'd better hurry up and get to their position now that someone had taken the bait as she walked ahead of the two muscle-bound men and kept glancing back Tony's way. She was worried. And he looked just as concerned for her — all things considered.

They'd hardly gone out of the line of sight of the stairs to the mansion, though, when Kate found a whole new set of problems as one of the guys shoved her from behind and she went stumbling forward, careening into an alley between houses. She only just managed to stay on her feet before one of them grabbed her while she was still a little bit teetering and slammed her against the wall, stepping in close with a leering smile.

He had his hands on her arms and was just tightening his grip when she jammed the pointy heel of her shoe into his foot. He gasped in pain and released her enough that she was able to follow it up with a knee to his gut and then a sharp blow to his neck that knocked him out, and he crumpled at her feet.

The second guy was bigger than his counterpart and had the advantage of now having seen his partner get taken down by the girl they'd obviously marked as easy prey. He lunged forward toward her and managed to grab her arm and try to twist it behind her, but before he could, she grabbed his arm with her free hand and pulled with him, so that he was thrown off balance enough that she could get her shoulder into his gut, and he released her with a gasp. She quickly spun with a kick that put her heel right through his middle and then followed it up with a punch that left him stunned on the ground.

Now thoroughly annoyed, Kate glared down at the still-conscious creep and sneered. "What, did you think _Tony Stark_ just kept me around cuz I was _pretty_?" she asked, batting her eyelashes, before she turned and stormed back toward the mansion, wondering if she'd be in time to intercept that Wesley guy before he drove off with Tony. Plan or no plan, she was _not_ putting up with this anymore.

She saw that there was a long black car parked nearby and decided she was done playing at being a simpering little girl. That was clearly not going to get her anywhere in this place. She took off her shoes, held them in one hand, and opened the door of the limo with a hard yank and slid into the seat next to Tony. She looked up at the other occupants of the car as she very pointedly took off her gloves and folded one underneath her shoes while she used the other to wipe from the shoes some of the blood splatter from putting her heel through that guy's stomach.

The other occupants of the car looked a little shocked to see her, though Tony seemed to be doing his best not to smirk. There was Wesley, looking a bit scandalized at her forwardness just inviting herself in — and then there was a man who looked like he was made up of about four guys. Seriously, the guy was a _giant_. Wesley looked like he was about to have her thrown out or killed or something for daring to interrupt, but the giant guy was studying her with a strange expression.

"I'm done with my walk, thanks," she told all three of the occupants of the car. "The company was horrendous."

The big man seemed to relax slightly and even smiled as he settled his gaze on her. "Of course, Miss Bishop," he said quietly. "Such a refined and obviously talented young lady as yourself deserves more _respectable_ company. Please, forgive my associates for any disrespect they may have directed your way. They're not always as sophisticated as I'd like them to be."

She smiled lightly. "I'm sure they've learned the error of their ways," she said simply. "I accept your apologies on their behalf." She was already planning ways to teach other 'associates,' too, but he didn't need to know that part.

"Had I known that you were something _more_ than young Mr. Stark's company, I would have extended my invitation for you to join us as well. I can see that was an extreme oversight on my part, and again, I cannot apologize enough."

She pulled out her best beaming smile. "Tony did mention to you that security was a concern, didn't he? That's why I'm here," she said.

"He did indeed," the large man told her. "I simply didn't consider that he'd found such a charming bodyguard. If you don't mind my saying: you were never much of a contender in your Games until the bitter end. Where does a charming young lady such as yourself learn to be so disarming?"

Kate barely kept her smile in place at what was obviously a backhanded compliment. "Trade secret," she told him. "But please, don't let me interrupt."

"Of course. I'd already extended my offer to your … employer." He turned his attention back to Tony. "Full access to our workshops for an exclusive contract. We would of course provide any _additional_ security that you'd require. I would never presume to replace that which so clearly works to your benefit, only to supplement your security needs while you're a guest in this district. And, of course, if you were to seriously consider working in tandem, that would only grant you more of whatever you desire."

"I'll have to put some thought to it," Tony told him. "There may or may not be other interested parties."

"I'm sure there are," the man replied with a growing smile that simply didn't reach his eyes. "May we escort you to your temporary residence? The streets here can be dangerous after dark — even with a talented assistant."

Tony didn't drop his gaze for an instant, though. "I think we'll be fine on our own. We had a place arranged for the night already, and I could use a little fresh air — but I'll let you know if I change my mind on anything ... or come to a decision on your generous offer." Tony flashed him the fake smile that clearly meant the discussion was over before he reached over Kate to open the door without looking at the handle. "Nice talking to you."

The big man watched them go with a clear look of restraint but kept his polite facade. Once they were out of the car, Tony offered Kate his arm, and once again, the two of them took off down the sidewalk at a leisurely pace, though one glance at him and it was clear that he was highly uncomfortable with how that had gone.

"Did he give you his name?" Kate asked quietly.

"Didn't need to," Tony replied. "He was the escort for One. Biggest man I've ever seen in my life. Hard to forget it."

"I was all the way over in the outer districts. Didn't get the _pleasure_ ," Kate said mildly.

"Wilson Fisk — he goes by Kingpin," Tony informed her. "And he's even creepier up close."

"Then I'm kind of glad I came to rescue you," she told him.

"Me too, to be perfectly honest," he admitted. "That wasn't staged to be an offer. Not really."

"You okay? Need to sit down?"

"I'll be fine," he replied. "I just ... kind of got the impression that his bodyguards are just for show, that's all."

"A guy that big? Wouldn't surprise me," Kate said. She tightened her grip on his arm. "Don't worry. Got your back."

He gave her a tight smile and let out a breath. "I know. Thanks. Same to you, you know."

He'd barely gotten the words out of his mouth when a black SUV rounded the corner at speed, tires screeching. They took a step back from the road as more black cars zipped in around them, all of them facing them and blocking off all their exits...

"Okay," Kate said, taking a slight step back. "This looks bad."

The cars unloaded, and they were quickly surrounded by men in suits telling them to quietly come with them.

Kate gave Tony a little wink and said, "Got your back, remember?" before she pulled out the two hidden guns and shot out a couple of the tires on the last few approaching cars, though she didn't get much further before the sound of guns chambering live rounds echoed the street, and when Kate turned back to the line of men, every one of them had a weapon drawn and pointed their way. "Drop the guns, honey," one of them told her. "I'd hate to ruin your pretty dress."

"Woah, _wait!_ " Tony said, stepping in front of Kate with both hands extended. "She's off limits guys, come on. You don't want to do that. Lay off and I'll go peacefully."

Kate glared at Tony for a moment, but the look he was giving her was so unmistakable that she had to sigh and let the guns clatter to the ground, sorely missing her bow — though it would've been hard to sneak arrows in.

In the matter of mere minutes, both of them were restrained with their hands behind their backs and escorted to one of the blacked-out SUV's. When they were seated, both of them were searched, and their comms were taken before the black bags were put over their heads.


	17. Collateral

**Chapter 17: Collateral**

"Katie Kate, this is _not funny_ ," Clint said as he called for about the twelfth time in as many minutes trying to find Tony and Kate. They'd signalled him to get to their coordinates, and it had only taken him all of, oh, ten minutes to get from his perch to the ground and to their position.

It had now been thirty minutes.

The only thing he could really find was a whole lot of tire tracks, the kind that meant a small army of cars had come to a screeching turn and probably a stop right around that area. But that was literally his only clue.

Of course, Clint wasn't the only backup; they'd lost plenty of people to whoever was doing the snatching, so no way was there only a 'Plan A'. "May," he said in his comm. "Still no sign. How far out are you?" He was trying not to sound too panicked, but the truth of it was that he was. Oh so very much.

"From the position you gave me two minutes ago?" she replied. "Look up."

Clint did that and had to grin as he shook his head. "Yeah, I'm only saying this because Tony's not around — but that is _too_ cool," he said as the transport shimmered into sight above his head.

"Already running the trace on their beacons. I have them on my plotter." She'd already taken the plane down, with the hatch open for him. "I'm not leaving you behind with all this mess. Get in."

"Really rather stay here and find Kate," he said even as he was climbing in.

"I'm not asking — and we're following their beacons so you're not leaving anyone. Get in," she pointed out, already putting forward motion together as the hatch closed itself and Clint made his way toward the cockpit to watch the beacons on screen.

But, naturally, after seven or eight miles, the beacons went still — transmitting, but simply not moving. And when they found the spot, the only sign that the two of them had been there was the pair of cufflinks and one lone earring that Clint found on the ground.

" _Kate_!" Clint said in what was both a whisper and somehow a shout at the same time as he started to sprint, just trying to find _something_. He was really settling into a panic by then, especially since if Kate had been grabbed… they _still_ didn't know who by. And she was _not_ the science type.

May was looking over the site too, the jet set off to the side and partly hidden as they searched, but it was pretty apparent to her what had happened. "They never even stopped," she called out to him. "We need to regroup. Right now."

Clint turned back toward her with the panic clear in his expression. "We gotta find her," he said. "They only want _scientists_."

"This wasn't the same as the others," May pointed out. "It was in the open, rough, and obviously not as practiced. We'll have Skye look into the cameras. These people had to have made a mistake. Even if they did find the beacons and toss them."

"Right, yeah, if it's not the same… not sure if that's better or worse, though, to be honest," Clint muttered to himself as he passed both hands through his hair.

"It's better," she told him. "If they were pros, they wouldn't have taken her."

"Kurt's gonna freak," Clint muttered under his breath.

"Then I'll tell him," May said.

"Good — and I'll get Nat and bring her back here," Clint decided. "You can feed us intel as soon as Skye has it."

"I'll fly," May said. "No missions without someone with _more_ experience than you kids have." She started toward the plane with a confident stride. "You're good, but you're not the best."

"Yeah, I dare you to find a better archer," he said with his arms crossed.

"I thought that's what this new mission was," May challenged with a smirk.

"Hey." Clint tipped his chin up.

May kept her stoic look as she faced him. "You were saying?"

Clint held her gaze for a second before he gestured toward the controls. "Dared you to find her, didn't I?"

"After I already volunteered," she replied as she started takeoff procedures.

"Yeah, well. You can fly me and Nat."

She drew in a long breath and rolled her eyes as she switched the radio over to hail Skye, already filling her in before they were even out of the district airspace. "She'll have what we need by the time we're ready to leave."

Clint nodded at that and looked out at the district for a second before May put them in the air. "Really don't like leaving her behind. Tony either, but…" He shook his head. "I don't like it."

"Considering the climate, we need to get the intel first. No sense losing more when your numbers are starting to dwindle."

Clint just let out a sigh and settled into the copilot seat, the frown filling his features.

* * *

When the bag came off of Tony's head, he was a little surprised to see that he wasn't in some cave or dungeon — or even, for that matter, some evil scientist's lab. Instead, it looked like he was in the presidential suite of one of the fancier high-rises in One, looking out over the whole district. The place was luxurious — even the smell of it was the kind of thing you could only have found in the Capitol back when Thanos ran things — and the place practically sparkled, with a fancy glass table near the windows and several paintings hanging on the walls that looked like they were worth more than the district below them.

Which was all well and good but didn't exactly distract from the fact that he was tied tightly to a chair.

Wilson Fisk was back again, this time seated in a comfortable, plush chair and with none of the pleasant and charming demeanor he'd been putting on for their earlier chat. Now, he just looked smug as, even seated, he seemed to tower over Tony.

"Mr. Stark, I hope you've had the opportunity to more properly consider my generous offer."

"Oh, you mean the contractual obligation for intellectual slavery?" Tony shot back.

"I don't believe you quite understand your current predicament. The contract is no longer an option," Fisk replied in a brusque sort of tone.

"So you thought instead you'd send an invitation engraved by your Neanderthal assistants," Tony said with a tone of pure disdain as he glanced around the place, worried already when he didn't spot Kate anywhere.

"I'm simply asking if putting you in the lab will be enough to get you working or if we need to move on to less… civilized means," Fisk said, matching Tony's tone.

"Yeah, that's a big fat 'not gonna happen'," Tony said as he finally got his hands in a position that he could reach the trick that was literally up his sleeve. _This is gonna hurt_ , he thought to himself a second before he hit the trigger button, and his right hand was quickly encased in not only armor but enough tech to fuel a repulsor in the center of his hand, which he set off the second it was operational, blasting through the chair holding him tied.

He couldn't help but let out a hiss through his teeth when the chair blasted apart and some of it hit his arms and back, but he was free, and he scrambled to turn with his repulsor out to blast through the two other guards who were in the room besides that Wesley creep who had approached him at the party before he held his hand, palm out, pointed at Fisk.

"New deal," Tony said to the big man, though Fisk didn't seem perturbed in the least, even if Wesley looked ready to kill Tony. "I walk out of here — _with_ my partner — and you don't find out for yourself what a repulsor to the chest feels like." When Fisk just seemed to be almost entertained, Tony narrowed his eyes. "And if you've hurt her, you'll find out anyway."

Fisk started to raise a hand, and when Tony narrowed his eyes further, the big man smirked. "I told you, Mr. Stark. You don't seem to understand your current predicament," he said as he made a motion with one hand, and a door opened nearby.

Tony was equal parts relieved and upset to see Kate as one of Fisk's guards pulled her into the room ahead of him. The guy had a gun shoved underneath Kate's chin, forcing her head up, and he was sure to hold her in front of him so Tony couldn't get a good shot at the guy.

"Let her go," Tony said, cursing the situation in general. Of _course_ he wound up with one of the awesomes who _didn't know when to stop_ , especially in a _state_ like hers… "You don't want her; you want me. So just leave her out of this."

"Oh but I do need her, Mr. Stark," Fisk said with a self-satisfied look. "To ensure your cooperation."

Tony shifted his stance so that it looked more open, trying to diffuse the whole situation if he could. "Look, we can be civilized about this, can't we?" he said in a more conciliatory tone. "You let her go — _unharmed_ — and I give you my word I'll go along with this whole… contract thing. Willingly. No arguments."

"Why don't you follow my assistant Wesley," Fisk said evenly. "He'll take you down to the lab, and as long as you remain so cooperative, I give you my word your … _partner_..." He looked toward Kate, who whimpered the slightest bit as the guy holding her seemed to tighten his grip. "...won't be harmed. In fact, I can assure you that she will be well-cared for."

"I'm going to need more than just an assurance. Adjoining room to the lab. Behind glass is fine, but I need to be able to check on her myself. At any time." He put both hands up near his face. "That's all I'm asking for. It'll even save on babysitters."

Fisk seemed to think it over for a moment before he nodded once. "That can be arranged," he said.

* * *

 _District Seven_

* * *

Logan and Kurt had finally made good on their promise to Kamala and Kitty and were working with the girls on their swordwork. To Kurt's irritation, both girls seemed to favor the katana — or at least, they favored the way they could use the swords. Logan was chuckling at Kurt's irritation as the lesson turned into a spar that amounted to two-on-two, though the girls kept switching sides. It was getting to be actual fun... but midway through their fourth partner switch, the ballroom was interrupted by a visitor.

"Logan, Kurt," Clint said, panting, before he seemed to notice that those two weren't the only ones there. "Guys, c'mon. I need your help on a ... situation."

"What kind of situation?" Kurt asked with a small frown as he took in the harried state of the blonde archer.

"Ran into some issues in One. Come on."

Logan tossed Kitty off his back and got up from where the girls had taken him down. "What kind of issues?"

"Yeah, well, you know how Stark was on board to investigate and play bait?" Clint frowned. "It worked."

"Wait, they sent Stark in? Not someone with an image inducer to look like Stark?" Logan asked.

"You know anyone who can imitate Stark? I mean, really," Clint pointed out. "For long periods of time. With businesspeople."

"Do I know anyone who can be an obnoxious grabass who thinks he's better than everyone around him? Yeah. I can think of a few," Logan said, giving Clint a look. "Give you an earwig, I'm pretty sure you could pull it off yourself."

"Yeah, possibly," Clint said, but he wasn't smirking in the slightest and looked distracted. "Doesn't matter — just light a fire. Or didn't Katie tell you she was Stark's date for the evening?"

That had Kurt standing totally still, his eyes wide. "She said she was going to do some surveillance work."

"Yeah, strictly speaking, the two of 'em were just going to go schmooze the rich people, and then I'd take care of any suspicious types they flagged," Clint said.

"Doesn't sound like it went according to plan," Logan said flatly as Kitty took the bokken from him. Just in case he decided to hit Clint.

"Yeah." Clint passed both hands through his hair. "By the time I hit their position after Katie hit the alarm, they were gone. Just a bunch of tire tracks. And their comms _and_ tracers were ditched."

Both Kurt and Logan stared at him for a moment, but it was Kurt that asked, "When do we leave?"

"Soon as you two can get your armor and hit the jet. Nat and May're already there," Clint told them. "Figured you two should come, seeing as it's Kate."

"Five minutes, tops," Logan said as he and Kurt both took off at a dead run. "We'll grab the armor and put it on in the plane."

"Sounds good," Clint said with a sharp nod before he took off running for the jet himself.

By the time the two of them got to the jet, May was set, and as promised, they took off the second Logan and Kurt were aboard.

* * *

 _Early Morning August 13_

 _District One_

* * *

When they got to the abduction scene, the three of them scattered. Logan had followed the skid marks into the street and started to walk down the middle of it looking for more, while May filled Kurt in on where the comms as well as the tracers had been so he could look there. And Clint climbed up the nearest fire escape for a better vantage point.

Natasha was re-checking everything for the hundredth time when Logan called out from a block and a half down. "You guys check the traffic cameras?"

"I had Skye check them on the way back," May called back. "Nothing more useful than what we already know — a whole lot of cars came through here at once, all black."

Logan walked back to the intersection between them and paused in the center, looking down both ways. "Which way'd they turn?"

"They split. All three directions," Skye supplied over the comms, running the intel for them from back home.

"You chase down all three?"

"We've chased down two so far," Clint said. "They left us a nice trail to some random homes that were completely clean."

"I was hopin' to talk to one of 'em," Logan grumbled as he returned to them.

"If we find one of them, I might let you do some talking," May said. "But we haven't." It was clear in the tone of her voice that she was frustrated.

"Anything outside of random houses? Gotta be they're meeting somewhere." Logan mused. "What about since? She spot em on camera since then?"

May deflected to Skye, who after just a beat finally answered, "I'm running it now." She rushed to get her program running, her fingers flying across the keys until she found three of them together — parked in front of a high rise on the other side of town.

"Got a very ugly highrise that might be of interest," Skye said. "I'll send the coordinates now."

"Let's check it out," Kurt said quickly, clearly ready to _do_ something.

"Maybe while we're on the way, Skye can figure out who owns that place — or the cars. Something. We need to know if we're dealing with the guys who snatched the spiders or if it's Hydra or … someone else," Clint added.

With all of them in agreement, they headed out. They went their separate ways once they were a few blocks out — Clint of course to the rooftop of a nearby building where he'd have a decent view of the executive's suite on the top floor. May stuck with the transport, ready to show up at a moment's notice, while Skye made sure the teams comms were linked up with each other and slid into the vents with a boost from Kurt and Logan once the three of them snuck into the building, and the two campfire boys put their sneaky skills into play as they evaded the cameras and slipped through the shadows, one floor at a time, in search of any sign of where their friends had been detained.

"Nothing compromising in the vent system," Natasha said quietly. "I thought for sure there'd be something like pressure sensors or something laser triggered, but so far—" She paused as she worked herself into a bottlenecked section. "—nothing I can't handle."

"Nothing interesting from here I can see except a whole lot of standing around and talking. I have learned about art today," Clint said dryly. "Just by reading lips. I swear, it's dull."

Time ticked on slowly, and to those outside the building, it was incredibly tense, with nothing to mark the passage of time other than the occasional check ins from their silent counterparts.

As Natasha was doing her check-in, an odd green smoke began to creep around her. "Guys," she said, trying to move away from the cloud, "I think I have a problem."

"Where are you?" Logan asked as he and Kurt tried to figure out what they could do.

"Twenty-fifth floor, near the elevators. I was just headed to check the shafts," she explained through a fit of coughing.

"Whatever it is, it's not on their computer systems," Skye warned. "There be dragons."

"On our way," Kurt told her as the two of them blew off any attempt at remaining undercover and ran for Natasha. She had managed to make it to an opening and was nearly sliding out when they arrived to pull her through the rest of the way.

"I must've tripped something," she told them as she gasped in air. They held her upright, one on each side, before the three of them slid to the floor and let her rest for a moment.

Kurt began to try and check her over. "Can you breathe better now?" he asked, watching her eyes carefully. Her color was not good.

She didn't respond but to nod a little bit, still trying to take deeper breaths.

"Come on, darlin'," Logan told her as he pulled her back upright. "Let's get you out of plain sight at least." They got to the stairwell, and the two boys shared a look, clearly ready to head down to get her to May, when she cut into their thoughts.

"Up. Go up. Two more flights," she said breathlessly.

"You can hardly breathe," Kurt pointed out. "You need to get out." But she just shook her head. "Alright then, last two floors. Logan and I will run them. You wait for us in the stairwell," he told her — not that she could argue much.

The next floor was empty ... entirely. No office equipment — no whisper of anything at all. When they got up to the top floor, however, it got interesting very quickly. Kurt reached for the handle to the door, and it was opened for him by a very large gentleman in a fitted suit.

"My employer is expecting you," the man said. Logan looked over his shoulder as armed men stepped out from several floors below them, and two came out from the roof access. He and Kurt shared a look and simply stepped past the man, with Natasha between them.

"You guys getting this?" Logan breathed out.

"Yeah. Try not to let us hear you get killed," Clint said.

The tall, likely armed guard led the three of them and held open the one and only door on the floor. Kurt tipped his head as if to say 'we've come this far', and again, they stepped through the door.

Inside was a vast, lavish, open room with a wall of glass overlooking the city below. Smooth, modern-looking furniture decorated the room, expensive art covered the walls, and obscure, free-standing sculptures dotted the wide room. They continued to walk through it, the number of guards behind them growing the further they got into the place, until finally, they saw the inhumanly large 'employer'.

"You were not invited into my home," the man started out. "I don't take kindly to intruders."

"Yeah, well we don't take kindly to kidnappers," Clint said in their ears. "I'd bet my bootlaces this is the guy. He just _screams_ bad guy."

"I thought escorts weren't paid that much," Logan said in a low rumble. "Or have you been pulling in big profits since the war?" Natasha looked up at the man across from them and breathed out his name into the headset for the others to hear — just in case.

"Fisk," she said quietly before coughing rather violently.

Fisk looked them over, seeming to be equally interested in all three of them. "You three ... you should all be dead."

Kurt smirked. "We've heard that a lot."

"Right. Director Fury's Tahiti program, of course," he said with an appreciative nod. "But I wasn't referring to that." He made a motion with one hand, and all of the guards cocked their weapons. "I just meant that you should be dead." Fisk gestured for them to head toward the windows. "Unbreakable bulletproof glass," he informed them. "And tile floors with drains. Do the math."

"May," Logan said in his normal volume. "I hope you're ready."

"Ready when you are."

Fisk frowned at them, and the trio turned around. "They'll still shoot you in the back," he told them. "But if you can't stand the idea…."

Logan gave Kurt a look, and the two of them stepped backward toward the armed men a few paces.

"On three?" Kurt asked. Logan nodded in return. Kurt counted down. and on three, they picked Natasha up off the floor and ran forward. Logan popped his claws and led through the window as the gunfire erupted around them. The fall could have been disastrous — if not for the fact that May had kept the transport hovering two stories below, and the three of them landed on top of it hard.

There was a sort of _thwack_ and a burst of smoke to cover them before Clint landed on the transport as well and immediately moved to make sure that Natasha was secure. As soon as he had himself halfway secured too, Logan knocked on the roof of the transport and yelled at May to _go._

May didn't need any further encouragement, and the transport was on its way in a second, only stopping once it was clear they would be safe so that everyone on the outside could climb inside.

"They weren't there," Logan grumbled as he brought the oxygen over to Clint and Natasha. Clint moved to secure the mask, then settled her in a little more comfortably.

"But I'm sure he knows where they are," Kurt added. "You're right — he's _definitely_ the bad guy type."

"Then we'll come back and make him talk," Clint said, his jaw tight. "Soon as we get Nat fixed up."

"Drop us off, May; we'll call you up when we've got the other two," Logan said.

"I'm not leaving without her," Kurt agreed.

May just tipped her head their way. "From what Skye has found, Fisk has interests in other districts. We have no idea if she's even _here._ "

Kurt and Logan shared a look — both of them frustrated. "Give me the list of what he owns here, We'll leave after we run them all down," Kurt suggested.

"He owns half the land, but it's not developed," Skye said over the comms. "I can give you a list, but anything worth looking at, May and Clint already covered."

"I've got my tablet," Logan said. "Send it there — whatever you got. There's gotta be somethin' else."

"I'll keep looking," Skye promised.


	18. Kurt Finds Out

**Chapter 18: Kurt Finds Out**

* * *

 _August 18_

 _District Three_

* * *

For the last several days, Kurt and Logan had been chasing down literally every lead they could get their hands on. Every property that Skye could scrounge up that was in any way related to Wilson Fisk — they checked it.

They still weren't finding anything; every place they checked came up empty. And what's more, they were honestly starting to wear down — not that either one of them would admit it. Especially when this was the only lead they had on _any_ of their missing friends.

But finally, it seemed the others back home had decided enough was enough. They'd run out of properties on Skye's list, they'd searched down every possible lead — there just wasn't anything _left_ to do.

When they'd cleared the list, Logan started digging into Stark Industries and even went to Shingen to see if they'd heard anything at all about Fisk. And, although they got some new intel from the ninja warlords, none of it was relevant to the task at hand.

Finally, they got a message from May. "Come back in," she said. "You're not doing any good running ragged. When we get something new—"

Logan and Kurt shared a look and simply flipped off the comm, outright ignoring the call. They didn't say anything for a moment, both of them digging for anything else to run with. "Back to One?" Logan asked, "Or do you want to try that wild shot in Four?"

"Four," Kurt said with a small nod. "Even if we did go back to One, I'm sure Fisk knows he's on our radar. He won't have them there."

"I'm starting to wonder if he's not in cahoots with Norman," Logan said.

"Eight, then?" Kurt asked with one eyebrow raised.

"Your girl; your call. I'm just here to make bad guys bleed and stubborn people talk."

Kurt thought about it for a moment and then let out a breath. "Let's start in Four. This wasn't like the other kidnappings, after all."

"We'll have to go to Odin first," Logan said. "I don't think he hated me."

"I'm sure if we explain the situation — that we're looking for lost friends — we won't have any troubles," Kurt agreed.

* * *

 _District Seven_

* * *

May glared at the comm before she let out a noise that was equal parts frustration and anger. "They're going to get themselves captured or killed at the rate they're going," she said. "If anyone sees those two run-down like they are…" She made another little noise at the back of her throat and shoved herself away from her desk

"I'm just glad he didn't try to fake static again," Skye said quietly to herself.

May looked Skye's way and shook her head. "Can't you get him to rein it in?" she asked.

"Have you _met_ him?"

May just responded to that with another annoyed little grunt. "This is why we don't send couples on the same mission."

"Logan and Kurt aren't _exactly_ a couple," she said with a sigh. "And … I kind of get it. I mean ... it's _Kate._ They're not going to give up on her. Especially after losing Peter. You know they feel like crap about that."

"I know. Don't you think I'm upset about Simmons?" May asked, leaning back in her seat. She pinched the bridge of her nose. "But what those two are doing isn't helping. It isn't even healthy."

"I know," Skye agreed. "And you can tell them when they get back. But if they don't at least get it out of their systems? Come on, May. You saw them after Peter."

At that, May just scrubbed a hand over her face and let out a sigh. "I did. And they're both lucky those darts weren't fatal. I don't want to see that again."

"Did you tell _them_ that?" Skye asked. "Like AD Mom and not super cranky serious Special Agent 'Kick Your Ass'?"

"Special Agent 'Kick Your Ass' is _trying_ to keep them alive, Skye," May said with a sharp look.

"And I'm telling you they respond better when you go the other way. I've seen it."

"Then _you_ tell them to come in," May said, her tone clearly frustrated.

"And I would do that right now if someone didn't turn off the comms."

May shook her head. "You and I both know you can get in touch with them in other ways."

"Fine, I'll try. But I'm not making any promises."

* * *

 _August 19_

 _District Four_

* * *

When Kurt and Logan had arrived in District Four, Odin had insisted that they stay the night and had even provided them with a hearty dinner, the kind that his kin were used to having with him. But in exchange for giving them free rein in his district, he had required not only that they spend the night but that they join him at breakfast and tell him _everything_ that led to them coming to his realm.

To his surprise, neither of them argued it in the least and were open with him for all of it — including all that had just happened in Three. It was clear that if it could get their friends back, they were open to share, SHIELD-approved or not, with Logan's sideways explanation of "Technically, we live in Seven. So... not even in the country _or_ with SHIELD."

"That explains much about your ... current state." Odin frowned at the two of them. "Still, not much occurs here without my knowledge, and I'm sorry to say that I haven't heard any word of anyone new — and certainly not two former tributes."

"We had to try," Logan said, tipping his head toward Kurt. "They've only been married a few months."

Odin looked Kurt's way, and his expression softened. "I will ask, and I will look, and I will permit the two of you full access." He tipped his head to the side. "Perhaps you could ask Heimdall. Not much passes here without his knowledge."

"Thank you," Logan replied. "If we can return the favor, just say the word."

Odin nodded. "If you require anything else, you need only contact any of my kin."

* * *

 _August 20_

 _Hidden Lab_

* * *

For a little over a week now, Tony had been working on the same project. And he would probably _still_ be working on it for another couple weeks at least. There were safeguards in place from the SHIELD agents in charge of overseeing the election to stop exactly this kind of tampering. So he had a lot to work around.

And he wasn't exactly motivated to be fast about it, either — even if it had been incredibly clear from the Neanderthals in charge that he had a deadline. The election was on the 14th, and he'd better be done by then.

Tony still wasn't entirely sure how Norman Osborn had managed to get this guy on his payroll — or what kind of arrangement the two of them had. But whatever it was, Osborn was going to get the presidency he wanted thanks to this program.

It was actually ingeniously simple. In every third machine tallying the votes, the voting numbers would get bumped to the next name down the list. Seeing as that wild-card candidate from Nine, Stryker, hadn't taken his name off the rolls, that meant his vote tally would go to Hill, and Hill's to Osborn. No one would blink at Stryker not getting any votes, since no one was going to vote for him anyway. Just a few crazies.

He pushed back from his desk and ran his hands through his hair for a moment before he glanced at the clock. Right about lunchtime anyway. Might as well break.

When he got to the room next door, he wasn't surprised to see that Kate was miserable. She had started throwing up a couple days after this whole thing started, and she hadn't stopped since. And being cooped up wasn't exactly doing wonders for her mood, either. But for all the crap Fisk had to answer for, at least he'd been true to his word — the pregnancy was the only thing Kate had to complain about, really.

She glanced up when he came in and looked pale — probably just tossed her cookies again — as she smirked his way. "Right on time. How else would I tell time around here without you?"

"I made you something," Tony said, handing her a little piece of elastic. "Hopefully, it'll help with all the …." He waved at her. "You know. The sick. It should work by pressure points? Skye was telling me about them. And they're on elastic, since I think I'd break my contract if I was holding your hand all day."

She smiled tiredly at that. "Yeah, thanks," she said. "I think you'd break your _hand_ if I was holding it all day, to be honest. This ... is no fun."

"And I can't even get you your pickles and ice cream or whatever you're craving."

"Actually, it's mint chocolate chip, but the thought is appreciated."

"Seriously," Tony said, leaning very close so they weren't overheard. "I'm trying."

"I know you are," she said, and she reached over to give his arm a quick squeeze. "It's kind of adorably sweet. You should hurry up and get home and do this to Pepper."

"Make her sick? Pretty sure that's not on the to-do list," Tony countered quickly. "Or do you mean offer her ice cream and hold her hand?"

"That second one," Kate said with a smirk.

"Then I'm in favor."

"Great. It's all settled. You make sure to lavish Pepper with attention, and I'll get sick over my Elf, and all will be right with the world."

"Yes, I agree. And if anyone is opposed, you can hurl on their shoes."

"I already tried that, but the creeps learn fast and just leave the food on the doorstep."

"That's terrible room service," Tony said, looking offended as he reached over to help her adjust the elastic band. "Let me know if this does the trick for you. Please."

She smiled up at him. "Yeah, I'll let you know how it goes. The next time I get the urge to, you know, barf all over the creeps."

* * *

 _August 22_

 _District Four_

* * *

The search for any info on Kate and Tony still hadn't turned up anything, and they were all set to try and look for more in District Eight when Kurt heard the distinct chime of Logan's tablet.

"What… _was is los_?" Kurt asked, as much to Logan as to himself as he looked over the message there - _Come on. It's not fun being miserable in the big bed by myself._

"It's something Skye came up with … a while ago," Logan said gruffly, sure not to meet Kurt's gaze.

"How long has this been going on?" Kurt asked, intrigued despite himself.

"Well it's not … ongoing. More situational than anything."

"Ah, so it must be a way for her to tell you when she needs more raspberries," Kurt said with a growing smile as he pushed the tablet Logan's way to show him the message.

"Pretty much," Logan replied before he took the tablet and frowned at the message. "She figured out how to get it under everyone's nose when I was in the Capitol." He hesitated before he replied. _Just want to pop in on Eight. Stab someone with bad hair._

 _That's not fair; everyone else wants to stab him too. Let the rest of us play, huh?_

"So it's been a way for you to communicate under the noses of the higher-ups," Kurt said. "It must have been going on long before we got out then."

"That's how it started, yeah," Logan answered. "She had it worked into the device I had to talk people out of their money."

"She did _not_ ," Kurt said, surprised into a breath like a laugh.

"She did," Logan said with a little smirk. "No one knew about it in SHIELD or the palace. Little terrorist."

"That must be why you love her," Kurt laughed.

"Sure doesn't hurt," he agreed, trying to answer her little message. _We can't wait that long to stab idiots._

 _Look, at least come home and get a good night's sleep with me first. If you go now, then I'm just going to find out later you two got snatched too and then I won't even have tablet communication to turn to when I'm miserable._

 _We won't get snatched, and you are playing dirty._

 _I thought you liked that about me._

Logan pinched the bridge of his nose as he sat back in the chair. He was stuck. There was no good way to turn down either of them.

"Is she alright?" Kurt asked.

"Yeah, just ... she ain't playin' fair at all." He shook his head and finally replied. _Terrorist._

"Sounds like situation normal then," Kurt said.

 _Please, just come home for a night or something._

 _It's the 'or something' that makes this a terrorist message._

 _That's the whole point._

Logan just stared at it for a long while, trying to even reply.

"Perhaps," Kurt said slowly, "we can stop to refuel."

"I swear to God, I'm gonna have to get you and Kate set up with these dumb things so no one has to listen to stuff like this out loud again. _Terrorist_."

"Oh, is _that_ the kind of thing you've been sending her?" Kurt asked.

"Calling her a terrorist? Yes. That's exactly what's going on."

Kurt shook his head. "You should really tell her that in person," he said, though his shoulders slumped a bit.

"I don't want to quit on Kate," Logan told him honestly. "I won't."

"I won't either," Kurt said. He leaned back. "But …" He sighed. "Maybe we can pick up more backup while we're there."

"That's the other part of her terrorist demand. That we should 'share' in stabbing bad guys. Whatever that means."

Kurt shook his head. "She sounds like Kate when she says things like that."

"I'm telling you: it's nonsense," Logan said, shaking his head. "Complete gibberish."

"That's just the way they are sometimes," Kurt said, shaking his head once more. "Come on. The sooner we get back to her, the sooner we can leave for Eight."

Logan had to agree with his logic before he offered him the tablet. "Want to tell her you forced me into it?"

Kurt raised an eyebrow at his friend before he just nodded. _I'll bring him home. -Kurt_

 _Thanks, Kurt._

The two of them were silent on the way back to District Seven, and Logan didn't miss that Kurt's shoulders were slumped more and more the closer they got to Seven.

"If we have to tear the whole country apart piece by piece, we'll find her," Logan promised.

"We will," Kurt agreed almost automatically as the jet set down. He put a hand on Logan's shoulder as he got up and headed inside, intent on giving Logan the time with Skye as he just headed to his room.

He didn't know that he could sleep though, not in that room. So instead, he headed to the coffeepot to make something up. He glanced around as he realized that he needed a coffee filter. Kate usually made the coffee, but since she was gone—

He let out a breath as he pulled open the drawer that he knew Kate had put the filters in and stopped when he saw the little purple bag there. It was wrapped; she'd clearly meant to give it as a present to someone and had hidden it there since she was usually the only one to use that drawer.

There wasn't anything coming up that he could think of. His birthday wasn't for some time, and they hadn't been married long enough for an anniversary.

Finally, curiosity won out, and Kurt peeked inside the bag — only to very nearly knock over the coffeepot when he saw what was inside.

* * *

Logan had of course, gone to see Skye, but after a quick banter, picking, and a very involved kiss, he swore to be back as soon as he'd made sure that Kurt was alright. It was something he just had to do.

So when he found Kurt just … crumpled, he forgot to do much of anything else. "Kurt?" Logan said from the doorway. "What's wrong?"

"Logan…" Kurt looked up at his friend with an expression Logan had simply never seen on his face before. "Kate ... she..."

Logan had kicked himself out of the door frame and headed closer — only to stop dead when he saw what Kurt had dropped.

The very smallest pair of purple shoes he'd ever seen.

"Oh, shit."

He watched Kurt for a moment and looked toward the hallway. "I'll be right back." He took a few steps out of the door and listened for a moment for voices — very glad to have heard Kitty and Kamala laughing in Kamala's room. He rushed down their way and knocked on their door. "I need you — either of you — to go get Hank and bring him to Kurt's room. Right now."

The two girls seemed to sit up straighter and stopped their teasing and talking when they saw the look on Logan's face. "I got it," Kamala said quickly, all but running down the hall, while Kitty frowned at Logan.

"What's wrong?"

"You can come with me," he told her.

Kitty nodded quickly. "Whoever it is, I'll help flatten them."

"If I knew the answer to that, they'd already be flat," Logan said. "Right now, we got an Elf in need."

Kitty looked suddenly even more serious than before. "What's wrong with Kurt?" she asked, then paused. "I mean. Besides the obvious, _temporary_ Kate situation."

"A slightly more upsetting Kate situation," Logan told her quietly.

"Oh no," Kitty said, picking up the pace as they got to Kurt and Kate's room — and she didn't hesitate to rush over to her friend and simply throw her arms around him to hug him. And while Kitty had Kurt wrapped up, Logan simply sat down on their opposite side to wait fo Hank.

"O-okay. I ... I brought Hank," Kamala said haltingly from the doorway as, in fact, the good doctor arrived with her, frowning at the scene.

"Thanks, Kamala," Logan said, though he didn't move until Hank got closer — and even then, Hank didn't rush in until Logan got to him and leaned in to explain what had happened at a whisper.

"Of course. Thus the need to find her," Hank said with a nod.

"No, Hank," Logan said, shaking his head. "We were just looking for her because it was _her._ And we screwed up with Pete."

Hank blinked at Logan for a moment before he uttered a soft, "Oh my stars and garters" before he went to Kurt to assess the young man more closely and a little more urgently.

"We slept in Four. I think Odin doped us a little," Logan admitted.

"Seeing the state the two of you find yourselves in, I wouldn't be surprised," Hank said quietly before he straightened up and hung his glasses on the pocket of his shirt for just a moment as he nodded to himself, going to his bag to pull out something that neither Kurt nor Kitty saw until he had jabbed Kurt with it and then nodded to Logan. "I think the prescription here is the same," he said gently.

Logan moved to help Kitty get Kurt upright and moved before the drug took full effect. But by the time they had him laid out, Hank was already giving directions. "Someone should stay with him for when he does wake up — but not you. You need to be elsewhere," he said to Logan.

"Yeah, caught the memo. Not that I needed it," Logan replied as Kitty fussed over Kurt's sleeping form.

"I'll make sure he's not alone," Kitty promised

"Thanks, Kitten," Logan said before he handed her a blanket. "Let me know if you need anything."


	19. Capture the Votes

**Chapter 19: Capture the Votes**

* * *

 _August 23_

 _The Capitol_

* * *

"I really do appreciate the gesture," Maria Hill said as MJ tried to get Clint yet again to _wear_ his tie instead of undoing it the second she turned her back and wearing it around his neck like a "half-dressed idiot."

"It's not just a gesture," Natasha admitted as she gently reached over and pinched Clint's arm to give him a _look_ , though he just responded with an open 'what?' expression. "I don't have to tell you that none of us are happy with the idea of Norman Osborn being the next president, all things considered."

Hill let out a breath. She was blunt at the best of times, and playing at politics was wearing on her — and it showed. "That's not really an endorsement, Natasha."

"It will be later," Natasha promised. "Right now, it's the truth."

As they walked, Hill raised an eyebrow. "And if you had your pick of anyone?" When Natasha turned toward her, she held up one hand. "Just out of curiosity."

Natasha stopped and turned toward the former Assistant Director of SHIELD, tipping her head to one side as she studied Hill. It looked like Hill had aged a decade in the years since the war started, but she wore it well, and she didn't flinch when Natasha held her gaze — she never flinched for anything.

"Probably you," Natasha said at last. "Anyone else either doesn't want the job or would crumble under the pressure."

"Now that _is_ an endorsement," Hill said with a little smirk that Natasha couldn't help but return.

When the three of them got to the fundraising event, Sam and Rhodey were already there pouring on the kind of charm that they'd used to get sponsors when they were both victors. Actually, Carol and Rhodey were the most surprisingly effective duo out there, with Carol dazzling the room and Rhodey working the logistics of getting donations. And of course, Charles' family was drawing plenty of attention; he and Moira were getting a lot of mileage out of baby pictures, though David himself was back at the manor with Hunter and Bobbi.

Clint and Natasha shared a look before both of them visibly straightened and slipped into similar strides, going to opposite ends of the event to talk to the various people gathered there. For the fundraiser, most of the people there were already supporters of Hill, but later that evening, there would be a more public forum. They were really just getting warmed up here.

As the newest 'shiny' toys in Hill's arsenal, Clint and Natasha were getting plenty of attention, but both of them were well-versed by this point. Natasha was simply charming, and Clint had a little group of people that seemed to get a kick out of his ridiculous jokes — which meant he was amping it up as well, so that by the time they got to the next event, he was honestly _enjoying_ himself.

"And they said this was gonna be _hard_ ," Clint told Natasha as they headed down to the forum together. "Get a buncha people from all the districts and you've got enough types of humor to have a real party. Instead, everyone's just standing around being stuffy. Come _on_."

"Not everyone works the way you do, Clint," Natasha said, though Clint had to grin when he heard the affection in her tone.

" _Nobody_ works the way I do," he corrected her, though that seemed to be a step too far for Natasha, who rolled her eyes at him and faced forward rather than talking to him anymore.

The forum was supposed to be a meeting of the minds, though it was set to be moderated by J. Jonah Jameson, who had made his hatred of _both_ Hill and Osborn fairly obvious since the outset, so there was every possibility this was going to be a _show_.

Clint really hoped it would be.

* * *

District Seven

* * *

Most of the residents of the Howlett Estate had gathered to watch the show, and right from the get go, there were bets being made and little good-spirited games being played to try to keep their attention on what was happening.

"Alright. There are rules," Hunter said, holding up both hands to get the group to settle down. "Every time former AD Hill mentions her previous service to SHIELD, you have to take a shot, gents. And every time ol' Norman mentions his experience in business, ladies … that's your turn. And to keep it fair, every time that JJ says anything about a menace, that's another shot for everyone."

"You're going to give everyone alcohol poisoning," Bobbi pointed out over the top of David's head as the little guy giggled and squirmed and tried to get away from her tickling.

"If you can't hack it, Kamala and I have the non-alcoholic stuff," Skye promised with a little twinkle in her eye.

"Oh, don't give her an out," Hunter said, frowning. "This is an opportunity, love. These two—" He gestured between Logan and Bobbi. "—have never gotten their head to head competition. And you know the odds are set up proper. They'll be even. I'll keep count — or Kamala can. I'd like to participate myself, thank you very much."

"I'll keep track. Kamala doesn't need to get dragged down by your nonsense," Skye teased.

"Well, they haven't started yet, but if we're playing 'eye spy,' then someone get a load of Nat trying to tie Clint's tie," Quill chuckled. "Dunno why she pretended not to like him for so long."

"Pretty sure Nat still has an itemized list somewhere," Logan said with a little smirk. "Broken down chronologically."

"That she shows to everyone who asks," Kitty agreed from where she was sitting with Kurt on the couch in her self-appointed vigil over her friend.

"See? It's all documented," Hunter said. "Now hush and let's get down to the task at hand."

They didn't have long to wait before the games began, really. Both Osborn and Hill had already said the magic buzz words by the time their opening statements were through — Osborn twice — and JJ was sure to start muttering and twirling his mustache before they had even really started.

"We should add something for mustache acrobatics," Hunter said evenly, and in response, he was pelted on either side of the head with a handful of popcorn by Logan and Bobbi. "That is not what I meant."

"No frowing," David told his Aunt Bobbi and Logan, shaking his head slowly.

"Yeah, guys," Skye said, giggling despite the stern look she was trying to copy from David. "No frowing."

"Stop me," Logan said quietly into her hair.

"There are little kids here," she whispered back. "Like Kamala."

"Is that your way of admitting you can't?"

"I would have to get up. And I don't want to do that. I got comfy _right here_."

"So you can't stop me," he said.

Skye raised an eyebrow at him before she rolled her eyes and leaned over to grab both his hands, pull him over, and kiss the stuffing out of him, only to be interrupted by a small rain of popcorn.

"No frowing!" David insisted to a totally unrepentant Bobbi.

"And Hunter _won't_ stop her," Logan said.

"That's because I know my limits," Hunter said without looking up. "You missed a 'menace', by the way."

"On it," Logan said, quickly catching up as Hill again mentioned her resume. "Bobbi, I think he just wants to see us liquored up."

"Well, I can only speak for myself, but I hope he's not hoping for the same results from you," Bobbi said with a smirk.

"That makes two of us," Logan replied. "No offense."

"None taken," Hunter sang out with a little grin.

The games continued like that for a little while, not only the drinking games but the 'frowing' games; whichever of the two perpetrators David was _not_ looking at would throw popcorn at Hunter until David finally got frustrated and put both of his hands on Bobbi's and gave her his most serious expression.

"No. Frowing," he said clearly.

The little boy was dead serious as he did his best to glare at her — until Logan tossed one kernel that bounced off her forehead. Bobbi blinked, David blinked, and then the little boy cracked a smile and started to just _giggle_. Bobbi laughed and scooped him up to start tickling him as well, and no one could hear anything being said on the television for a while, as it was just a whole lot of shrieks of laughter until finally Bobbi let up to let David get his breath back.

They were just in time to catch Hill talking about SHIELD and her service during the war — Bobbi took a shot — but no one was paying much attention until the camera swept over a few of the victors and Tahiti kids while Hill was talking — and Kamala suddenly sat up straighter and pointed.

"Did you see that?" she asked, sounding totally flabbergasted.

"What?" Logan asked with a crooked little smile. "Did I miss another round?"

"No, no. Can we… can we go back?" Kamala asked, her eyes wide. "It was really quick…"

"Of course," Kurt said, picking up the remote. "What did you see?"

"Well, you guys're gonna think I'm nuts. But I swear to you, I saw Johnny Storm. Just when they were showing all the VIPs from the group..."

Kurt let it play and was ready when Kamala shouted out 'there!' and froze the screen to show that she had not missed it at all — and was not mistaken. "Well that's good, isn't it?" Kitty asked.

"What is he _doing_ there?" Bobbi asked instead of answering Kitty.

Logan and Quill both sat up a little straighter and were blinking away the beer goggles to try and look closer. "Could be a stunt," Quill said, frowning. "Trying to throw Hill off ... missing victor just shows up…"

"Or I was right and Normy's involved," Logan said. "Shoulda let me tear up his building the first time."

"He must think he hasn't left any proof if he's willing to bring a kidnapped operative in public," Bobbi said in a clearly worried tone.

"No," Logan said slowly. "Johnny hadn't signed on with SHIELD yet."

"Neither had anyone else who's missing," Bobbi said,

"Every one of the younger victors were keeping away from it — well, except Rhodey," Quill said.

"But that's good, right?" Kitty asked again. "If we know Johnny's with Norman…"

"Just means they can't paint it up as a kidnapping of an operative," Logan said.

Bobbi swore under her breath and shook her head. "I'd kill to be on the ground right now," she muttered to Logan low.

"No you wouldn't," he said.

"Hey, if he's got them, I'll brave the stupidity of politics to get them back."

"You keep talkin' like that and you might have to," Logan said at just over a whisper.

Bobbi let out her breath. "Jess was the best friend I had in the Capitol for a long time. Hunter … was being forced on me, so he doesn't count," she admitted. "So yeah, I'll play dress up if it means getting her back."

"If it was as easy as dress up, I'd have Jubes work somethin' up for you — but you know damn well they'd drag your Hydra time out on display."

"Which is why I'd say I was in support of Osborn and let Hill come at me," Bobbi said with a shrug. "Take him down with me."

Logan let out a sigh. "If it gets bad, I'll go … be nice."

Bobbi couldn't help the smirk, especially when Quill looked _delighted_. "That would be fun," Quill said.

" _You_ should go do it," Logan said. "They love you."

Quill held up both hands. "No way. I'm staying _away_ from the balance of power. I… am not going to make it look like it's a _throne_ hand-off."

Logan gestured openly with one hand. "What the hell does it look like for any of us throwin' in our two cents?"

"It's… different," Quill argued. "You know there are people who would _still_ jump if I said I wanted the throne back. I don't want to touch it."

"Right. So I get why you're not goin', but I don't see what the hell difference it makes for the rest of the victors," Logan pointed out. "Outside of draggin' Norm down. How the hell did he even get this far?"

"No one knows," Bobbi said, rolling her eyes.

"Outside of the charisma, riches, business sense, and fact that no one in the public knows he's a sleeze," Hunter pointed out. "Oh, and the being a victor and providing his entire district with a security net that kept the worst of the war from hitting them…"

"You mean aside from the military forces that were actually doin' the work?" Logan said. "And that does it for Eight … but why would anyone else bother?"

"Well, he's not SHIELD." Kamala worried her hands in her lap as she looked over the older victors. "Not everybody… I mean... SHIELD sent kids to die. Every year."

"Yeah. We know," Quill said dryly.

"So how would you feel? One of the people who ran the Games that killed your kid… or your sister's kid… or your neighbor... Would you want her to run the country?" Kamala asked. She held up both hands. "I'm not saying they're right, but I'm saying they have a legitimate gripe."

"And I'm saying there's a reason some of us are out here in the trees in Seven," Quill replied. "Because both choices suck."

"Either way, Osborn's got something on Johnny at the very least," Hunter pointed out. "So maybe we focus on that problem first."

"He's not smilin'," Logan said.

"Would you be — showing up for Osborn?" Kitty asked.

"Johnny _always_ smiles on camera," Bobbi pointed out. "He's got different ones for different moods, but he _should_ be smiling."

"So… why isn't he?" Kitty asked, leaning forward with a frown and her chin resting on her hands.

The little group was quiet, and their game had fallen to the wayside as they watched the broadcast. There were no answers any of them liked — or that they wanted to consider as serious possibilities.

"D'you think the others know he's there?" Kamala asked at last, breaking the silence. "Maybe they can just… grab him and get him home."

"Depends on where Hill's VIP's are seated," Bobbi said. "If the stage lights are separating them, they won't be able to see them."

"We'll have to call them on their comms as soon as this thing is over," Kitty suggested. "They could get there — at least to see what's going on so they can keep an eye out while they're there."

But the three victors didn't look convinced.

* * *

 _The Capitol_

* * *

In fact, the group that had gone with Hill to the Capitol hadn't seen what everyone back in District Seven had, so the biggest problem facing them was one of restlessness from sitting in the camera's eye for so long.

"Can you not take off all of your suit before we get back, _please_?"

Clint gave Natasha the most pitiful look; he once again had his tie undone around his neck and his jacket slung over his shoulder rather than _on_ his shoulders. "It's stuffy, Nat. No one _cares_ what I look like anyway except you and MJ."

"And what? You don't think that's a good enough reason to just … not?" she countered. "Seeing as I like it?"

"No, no, you like the roguish good looks. I distinctly remember you telling me something like that."

"You think I only like _one_ look on you?" Natasha challenged. "If that was the case, it wouldn't be 'roguish'."

"No, it would be something else entirely that I cannot say because there are cameras everywhere," he agreed with a perfectly straight face.

"Exactly," she said with one eyebrow arched up. "So _save it._ "

He grinned at her crookedly. "See, you say things like that, and it just makes me want to kiss you — that's my problem."

"Might be good for the crowd," Sam teased as he caught up to them. "Do a dip."

"See? He's on board, Nat," Clint said with a laugh as he did just that and swept Natasha into a good kiss, complete with a dip, that elicited a few wolf whistles from nearby.

" _Thank_ you," Sam said, laughing. "Rhodey just gives me this _look_ when I propose the dip."

Clint was still chuckling as Natasha gave them both her most withering look, though she wasn't coming out from underneath Clint's arm anytime soon, either. They'd just parted ways with Sam when an older woman, in about her forties, approached Sam with a deeply settled glare.

It threw him off — but he was used to it for as long as he'd been with Rhodey playing the public appearance game. Not everyone was so willing to let victors off the hook, and there were bad feelings all around, so he just nodded and smiled politely at the woman a split second before she drew her hand back from her purse and Sam realized she'd managed to smuggle in a knife. It looked like a kitchen knife, too.

He was taken enough by surprise that he didn't get his guard up in time as the clearly enraged woman flew at him, and it didn't help that ... Well. He didn't want to fight a forty-year-old lady in the middle of the street, not with any of the moves he knew would be effective but would hurt her in the process.

Thankfully, there was enough of a crowd around them that when Sam went down, plenty of people saw it — and the police rushed in to pull the woman off of Sam before she could deal him any more damage, though she had gotten some seriously good shots on him in the meantime. She probably hadn't even meant to — it seemed like she was just attacking in a blind rage, cursing him for being a killer, though that wasn't entirely new to anyone who had won the Games — but it felt like she'd hit something important, if the fact that moving hurt was any indication.

"Come on, Sam, you come all the way to the Capitol and you can't even make it past one little old lady?" Rhodey asked as he rushed over to his friend to assess him.

Sam gave Rhodey a dry look for that.

"Don't worry, buddy; we'll say it was a disgruntled former Sentinel if anyone asks," Rhodey promised as a few emergency personnel arrived.

While Sam was getting loaded up, of course, Osborn was capitalizing on his promises to crack down on violence with security like he'd done for Eight — and Clint was making faces behind the camera at the whole thing. Right up until he spotted someone in the crowd of concerned onlookers that just didn't belong.

"Nat," he said, elbowing his partner and already moving forward, practically sprinting around the corner to find that — oh yeah. That _was_ Jessica Drew.

"Jess!" Clint called out to get her attention as he skirted through the crowd.

For just an instant, Jessica Drew looked his way... then very discreetly shook her head and disappeared into the crowd.

Clint tried to push his way through after her, but after ten minutes of unsuccessful skirting around interested, nosy people, he had to admit that she had totally eluded him. He muttered a curse under his breath as he ran back to where Natasha was. "You find her?"

"Clint, I barely saw her when you ran after her," Natasha said, shaking her head.

"You see the pin she was wearing?"

"I barely saw _her_!"

"She's here for Osborn," Clint said in a rush. "Which makes _zero_ sense, but that's what it is."

Natasha frowned at him for just a moment before she seemed to suddenly straighten up and smile his way. "Later," she told him as Clint saw the camera crews following Hill around coming their way. "We need to contact the others in Seven and let them know. Maybe Skye can do a little looking and see if the dozens of cameras caught her, piece together where she went."

"What's he got her out in the open for? He's gotta know we know she's been missing," Clint said with a deeply settled frown. "I don't like it."

Natasha just shook her head. "I don't know," she admitted. "We'll just have to see where the trail leads us." She readjusted the way she was standing subtly enough that it had Clint doing the same. "In the meantime, it helps if we don't look like we're conspiring just by where a victor was stabbed, Barton."

"Right, yeah." He nodded and grinned before he leaned in and kissed her, figuring that would give people reason enough to think that was why the two of them had their heads together.


	20. Smile for the Camera

**Chapter 20: Smile for the Camera**

….

 _August 25_

 _The Capitol_

….

The kids and victors on Hill's side of things kept a close eye on the public events over the next couple of days, trying to see if they could spot either of the missing victors again. The kids in Seven had filled them in on Johnny's appearance as well, so in between their own public appearances, they were putting their best sneak into practice looking through Norman's crowds for any sign of either of their missing friends.

But for all the sneaking and surveillance, the next time they saw Johnny and Jess, the two of them were together — and completely in the public eye — at a big rally. The two of them were never more than two feet from each other, with Johnny's arm over her shoulder — and Jess seemed to be doing most of the talking, engaging members of the press and public alike with how she'd spent years working with Norman Osborn as a victor and talking up his virtues.

And in Seven, the others were monitoring the events as well, ready to comb through for glimpses of their friends and not at all expecting them to be in the spotlight so… blatantly.

"That makes no sense," Bobbi said, frowning at the news footage. "She would never … and it looks like she's just … guiding him everywhere."

"They even match," Jubilee said, gesturing to the screen. "Look — the dress and the tie …"

"Now, _that's_ familiar," Hunter muttered almost under his breath, though not quiet enough that no one could catch it.

"Yeah," Quill said quietly, half his breath in his throat. "So when do we get them _out_?"

"I think that might depend on who can go and counter their message," Bobbi admitted. "And I'd assume the end of the election."

"So we're just going to leave them like… that… for three weeks," Quill said.

"We couldn't even find them before," Skye pointed out from behind her computer. "Do you really think that now that Osborn has shown his cards it's going to be any easier to find them or get them out? They're under heavy surveillance, and even if we _did_ find them, any attempt to get them out would be broadcast against Hill."

There was a beat of silence as the whole group just turned her way for a moment. "Thank you, Director," Logan muttered.

Skye flushed a bit and shook her head at him. "The point is: we don't know why he's decided to show off who he's got."

"He's pandering for votes," Bobbi said, throwing both hands up. "Why else would he do it? He's getting slaughtered in the polls."

"And he'd get a really big boost if, oh, some kids from Career districts came after him. Or if SHIELD called in a raid. Or if a former Hydra big wig came in," Skye pointed out Bobbi's way. "It's just as much bait for us as it is for votes. He's hoping to make us do something stupid; that's the only way he wins."

"So what do you suggest?" Quill said. "Because there's no way that an ex-royal by marriage is going to do anything but let him scream 'told you so' at the top of his lungs."

Skye shook her head. "Yeah, you shouldn't go. Or Bobbi. Maybe some of the Tahitis…" She trailed off, glanced at Logan, and sighed. "He's still behind. As long as we don't do anything stupid, Hill should still win, and then we can _nail_ him."

"That's assuming things stay the same," May pointed out. She poked her bottom lip out thoughtfully for just a second and then pointed at Logan. "Coordinate with the Line. You'll be in the Capitol tomorrow."

"The hell're you talkin' about? I'm awful in front of cameras," Logan said. "There are witnesses that will corroborate."

"You are amazing in front of the cameras when you have a _target_ ," May clarified. "Just go play nice — and _destroy_ Norman Osborn at every turn."

"If you can get him to make the same face Selene made, there's fifty bucks in it for you and a case of beer," Quill said with a grin.

Logan gave him a dry look. "I don't need your money."

"Then two cases of beer," Quill said. "And a promise to have your wife record the exact moment Norman's head explodes."

"Won't do any good," Logan argued. "I've been dragged through the mud since the start of this stupid war."

But Bobbi shook her head at that. "No, every time they tried to do that, it backfired," she pointed out. "Me? They've got my crimes posted over my head, and I have to live with it. You? Everyone hated Viper. You — you've got a POW story, really. Everyone loves a hero." She looked almost apologetic about it. "The stuff that was nationally broadcast... you saving the awesomes; at the fall of Thanos... it's not all mud."

He gave her a dry look for a long time. "So … if I don't chuck more popcorn at you, does that mean I have Stockholm Syndrome?"

She looked surprised for a moment before she snorted. "Yeah, that exactly," she said before she waved her hand. "Don't talk about the war. Just tear Norman apart. You have _plenty_ of material to do it."

"Doesn't even have to be an endorsement of Hill," Skye pointed out. "You're not there to say Hill is the best president. You're just there to humiliate Norman."

"If you don't want to, I will," Bobbi told him.

"Keep your Stockholm to yourself," Logan said. "I'm not gonna let you get attacked."

"The security has beefed up since Sam was attacked," she argued. "And I'm not exactly a shrinking violet."

"You'd catch hell if you fought back," Logan pointed out as Jubilee got up and started to leave — looking like she was on a mission.

"We could send America — for the pure entertainment value," Quill said.

"That'll be great," Logan said. "She hasn't gotten to call me a whore on camera yet."

"I'm saying if you aren't going, at least we could send a victor with a working middle finger."

"If I go, you gotta pull the security back," Logan said.

"Why?"

"Couple reasons. Send a message for one. And two: so I can take 'em down and pull out their security passes with Osborn's logo on it. No civilian is stupid enough to come at me knowing I've got claws."

May tipped her head to the side. "Fair enough," she said. "I'll make sure Coulson knows the deal."

"May," Logan called out before she could quite slip out of the door. "How long ago did Coulson put you on this?"

"Which part, Logan?" she asked as she turned back around to face him. "Be specific."

"This part, specifically — the camera bait angle."

"He asked me to do what I could to convince any of you — _not_ just you — to help," May told him frankly, moving a few steps closer.

"So who else have you worked on?" Logan asked with a little smirk.

"Steve and Peggy," May said. "And I had spoken with both Kurt and Tony before things got… to the point they are," she added with a sigh.

"Only one on my list you missed was Bruce," Logan said.

"I'm not sending any more scientists into Norman Osborn's clutches," May pointed out with one eyebrow raised.

"Before Tony got snatched?"

"Before that… yes, I considered it. But he and Jarella seem entirely content not to be disturbed. They purposely removed themselves from this circus act." She paused to consider him. "You don't have to do anything. We can just wait here for three weeks and see how this pans out."

"You don't have to guilt trip," he growled out.

"Oh, yes. You definitely have a history of just doing what I ask you to do — ask, not order — without my having to drag you kicking and screaming into it because it's not what you _picked_."

"Please, _please_ drag me. I wanna see it."

"See? You can't just say 'yes.'"

"I thought it was implied when you informed me I'd be in the Capitol tomorrow and Jubilee took off to start working."

May rolled her eyes at him. "I _want you_ to say yes. Moron."

"Why would I when you're trying to make me?" Logan countered. "But it's fine. I'll just go be a pain. Been a while since my mission was to make someone look bad and smile while I did it."

"Logan," May said with her eyes flashing. "The only reason you and I are having this conversation is because I want to hear it from you — not anyone else — that you're willing to go. I make it a policy not to let other people make your decisions. Now, you can be a pain because I'm trying to make sure you're a free agent, or you can just go through the rest of your life assuming I'm forcing you into things. Your choice."

He gave her a look and just had to smirk. "Honey, you couldn't _make_ me do anything."

"I'm. Not. Trying. To." May glared at him before she simply shook her head, stood up, and headed for the door. "For the record? It's not funny. What you're doing. It's just frustrating to people trying to help."

"I thought the whole point was to go be contrary?" Logan called to her. "You know you're my favorite _old_ agent."

"I'd hate to find out how you treat people who aren't your favorites."

"Stab them," Quill said without missing a beat. "He stabs them."

May just rolled her eyes before she hit her office and shut the door behind her.

* * *

 _August 26_

 _In the Capitol_

* * *

"You clean up nice," Natasha teased as she and Clint caught up to a freshly-styled Logan — which got a crooked grin out of Jubilee. "Good work," she added toward the stylist, who gave Natasha two thumbs up as she cracked her gum.

"Don't encourage her," Logan grumbled, looking sour. "She'll just be worse about it next time." He batted Jubilee's hands away from his tie with a nearly hissed out 'stop it' that had Natasha and May both smirking to themselves. Neither of them had gotten the chance to see these two do this little dance in the Capitol before — and it was clear that it was a bit of a tradition.

But it was something else entirely once they hit the press junket, and Clint and Natasha got to see up close as Logan turned up the charm. It was like a switch had been flipped as he seamlessly went from one person to the next, smoothly undercutting Norman Osborn at the same time he was still somehow managing to make the other victors and _especially_ Tahiti kids look good.

"So are you throwing your support behind Maria Hill?" one of the reporters asked almost eagerly.

"I'm just here to see what they have to say in person," Logan replied. "I'm not necessarily backing anyone."

"Will you be meeting with both candidates, then?"

"If history's any indicator, only one of them would take the time to talk to me," Logan replied.

"And just for clarification, which one are you referring to?" chimed in another.

Logan turned the reporter's way and made sure to shoot her a little smile. "The one that actually fought in the war."

There was a quick succession of flashes as the photographers shot Logan in frame, and Trish smirked to herself. "So what do you say to Mr. Osborn's claims that he was defending his home district his own way?" she asked.

Logan tipped his head and shook his head lightly, though he managed to make it look natural. "All I know is that the kids that went through the Tahiti project spent a lot of time keeping Hydra out of Eight and protecting their citizens. I never saw Norman or any of his hired security in those fights. But I'm sure it was _very_ safe if you happened to live in one of the big towers downtown with Oscorp's logo on the side of it."

"Jessica Drew tells a different story," Trish pointed out, one eyebrow raised.

"I wish I could say I got to fight with Jess more, but I'm sure she's got her own perspective. She was more into the espionage side of things, while I was in the trenches more often than not."

"So she would conceivably know things you didn't," the reporter beside Trish said.

"I'm sure she did," Logan replied, turning her way with a warm smile and stepping a little closer to her so he was sure to give her full attention. "But she was working for SHIELD at the time, using SHIELD's resources — good, bad, or ugly."

"I take it you're no fan of SHIELD's."

"Not the old version," Logan agreed. "But this …" He looked over his shoulder to where, through the crowd, Hill was talking with a different set of reporters. "... is a different animal entirely."

"You think the new leadership is better?"

"I'll have to get back to you," he replied. "But from the limited time I've had with some of their higher ups, it's not the same as it was with Fury."

"So you're _not_ in favor of Osborn's suggestion that SHIELD be phased out in favor of a new police force without the old ties to Thanos' regime?"

"If you want to get rid of _all_ the old ties, it might be smart to see who was pioneering the most dangerous of the Capitol's biotech for them," Logan replied with a little smirk before he gave that reporter's arm a little squeeze, thanked her, and moved down the line.

Clint was a little further out with Natasha watching the whole thing go down and had to elbow her with a laugh. "Who knew he was a natural?" he chuckled.

"Peter Quill," Natasha said with a smirk.

"I always thought he was exaggerating," Clint admitted as he rested his arm around her, still grinning. "Who do I have to pay off to get him and Norm in the same room? Because I will do it."

"You know Osborn wouldn't agree to it."

"I'll kidnap him. See how he likes it."

Natasha shook her head at him. "Clint—"

"It'll be great. There will be squealing tires, the whole nine. And someone will pop up and ask him 'how do _you_ like it'?"

"You're starting to sound like Wade," she said with a shake of her head.

"Hey, I'm not _actually_ going to pull it off. Wishful thinking," Clint said, holding up one hand in a conciliatory gesture. "Despite appearances, I'm not stupid. I know the kids he's got would be in trouble if ol' Norm went missing." He held her a bit tighter. "C'mon. Let's see if we can 'accidentally' run into Norman's faux couple."

* * *

 _August 27_

 _Norman Osborn's Secret Horrible No Good Rotten Lab_

* * *

Peter Parker was _totally_ entertained.

There wasn't much that he could say was really enjoyable since Norman had locked him and his friends up in his freaky little secret lab besides the fact that he got to see Gwen every day, but watching Norman stalk past looking positively _purple_ definitely had to be a highlight.

He was pretty much cackling and giggling to himself as he hit the labs, which of course had Miles raising an eyebrow. "What's with the good mood?" he asked.

"You clearly haven't seen Normykins this morning," Peter laughed.

"Ah, no. I try not to have anything to do with the Ugly Proprietor of this Establishment."

Peter chuckled at that before he spread his arms out as wide as his grin. "He is. So. Mad."

"What about this time?" Simmons asked without looking up.

"Logan's handing him his butt on national television," Peter told them.

Miles and Gwen looked up in surprise, but Simmons almost looked like she would break into laughter. "Oh no," she said. "What is he doing?"

"The better question, oh better half of Fitzsimmons," Peter all but sang to her, "is what _isn't_ he doing."

"That bad?"

"That good." Peter grinned delightedly. "Practically accused him of being a coward, not to mention the digs at his old ties to the Capitol…"

"So, lay it out for us, Pete," Gwen laughed. "How mad is he?"

"So mad he could match Kate's shirts," Peter said, nodding as he tried to think of more descriptors. "So mad… he's like a giant purple train with steam coming out his ears."

"Tea kettle pitch?" Miles offered.

"Higher," Peter said.

"With just a touch of 'curses, foiled again'," Gwen said with a little giggle.

Peter touched his index finger to the side of his nose. "Yes. That exactly."

"It's a shame we haven't a way to pirate the footage," Simmons said with a badly executed innocent expression.

"Oh yeah. So shameful," Peter agreed, pulling off the innocent expression a little better before he broke into a laugh and whispered, "Show you after we finish up here," and gestured to their most recent project — one that they were all actually eager to work on.

The idea was simple enough. Miles had somehow managed to figure out their location, and from there, it was just a matter of relaying that information . And that was where Peter's idea came in. He and Gwen could program it into the security cameras around Oscorp that any time one of the awesomes came up on facial recognition, a message would flash on the cameras.

Osborn probably wouldn't notice it with everything else that was going on, and Gwen's job was to bury it in lines and lines of code so that he _definitely_ wouldn't notice it.

Hopefully.

The group of spiders and Simmons quieted down a bit as they put their heads together, getting deeper into the project as they went. If all went well ... they'd be out of there in no time.

* * *

 _August 28_

 _Press Junket Before the Debates_

* * *

Earlier in the day, _someone_ had released a nasty little unauthorized bio that not-so subtly smeared Logan and the bulk of the other victors, seeming to put a bit of a divot in the good work Logan had done the nights before.

But Hill's team had their own little ammunition in place to deal with that. As they prepped to hit the red carpet of sorts, Logan and Jubilee had a much calmer, less grumbly prep session that ended with a final tie check and a quick, friendly hug that happened to be caught on camera — and that happened to set the tone for the evening — totally countering the crap that Osborn had tried to leak.

"How come you weren't this much fun the last time we did this song and dance?" Trish couldn't help but ask him as they headed for the press junket and he offered her his arm.

"There are probably a dozen different reasons, but they all boil down to I just wasn't in the mood," Logan replied.

"Just my luck," she said, shaking her head, though she didn't seem _too_ incredibly put out, all things considered. She was, after all, enjoying a huge ratings boost. Though when they arrived at the party planned for the night before the debates, both of them were a little surprised to see that there was some kind of excitement going on over in Norman's camp.

"Oh, now there's a face I haven't seen in too long," Logan said with a little spark of trouble. "If you're up to getting through the crowd, I think I'd like to know where Tony's been hiding out. Pepper misses him."

"Lead the way," Trish said, looking delighted.

"Hold tight," Logan said before he simply started plowing his way through the crowd. It was a neat little trick he could pull off, since the irritated or insulted people he pushed out of his way very quickly changed their tune with a little smirk and a quick "thanks for moving fast."

When they got within a pair of guards that were not-so subtly trying to keep a little protective bubble around Tony, Logan smiled an honest grin as one of them reached out to take his arm to lead him away — and he got a quick hold of their wrist and quickly nailed a rather painful pressure point as he pulled them out of his way to get right up to Tony and rather gently rest a hand on his shoulder.

"Where you been, Stark? Pepper's gettin' lonely," Logan said with a smirk that was pure show.

Tony looked surprised at the fact that Logan had managed to get there before he broke into what had to have been the first honest grin he'd had all night, despite the schmoozing he'd been doing up until then. "Caught up in a project," he said.

"I'll bet," Logan agreed. "Must be something else to keep you away from your redhead."

"Oh yeah," Tony said, nodding. "It's gonna be big. And probably surprise a few people."

"You're good at that," Logan said with a nod, though he glanced down to Tony's hands quickly and narrowed his eyes the slightest bit, doing his level best to keep what looked like eye contact while Tony talked about how groundbreaking his new project was — all while signing rapidly. Logan took a moment, but he knew he wasn't going to get everything, so he did Trish a favor and stepped a bit closer to Tony, nearly side by side with him — to clear the sightline for Clint.

To most of the crowd, it looked like Tony was simply overly animated with his hands, and to Logan's credit, he didn't draw any more attention to it than was necessary.

When Tony's handlers started pushing to get him moving, Logan made sure to shake his hand — and the two of them leaned close as Logan was sure to speak loud enough for anyone paying attention on Tony's detail. "I'll get you out myself, if I have to, Stark," Logan said low before the two of them stepped back and Logan raised his voice. "I'll make sure Pepper knows."

"Thanks. I know how she worries," Tony half called out as he got moving.

Trish, in the meantime, looked positively delighted. "I didn't know you two got along so well. This will blow Jameson's reports about Tony still being scared of you _out of the water_ ," she said, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

"I never had any problem with Stark," Logan told her.

"Clearly. You two seem to get along well — and do you get along with Pepper, too? That sounds almost cozy."

"Everyone gets along with Pepper," Logan said. "Only people that couldn't like her are pure evil."

Trish grinned even wider. "You know, it's nice seeing two old friends disagree in political matters and still be friends. I can work with that."

Logan gave her a crooked smile. "Well, he can be wrong and I can still get along with him."

"Well, as I understand it, Stark Industries and Oscorp have dealt with each other long enough, you can't really blame him," Trish said.

"No," Logan said, shaking his head. "It takes a long time to turn around outdated business practices. Give it time. Tony's a forward thinker."

"You think he'll turn around on his support?"

"Maybe not right away," Logan said. "But give him a chance to stretch out. He's still learning to juggle Stark Industries on his own."

"Not quite alone," Trish corrected him. "Pepper Potts, remember?"

"They haven't had much time for meetings lately," Logan replied. "I see her more often — and she's workin' hard."

"Maybe you'll be invited to the launch of whatever it was he's working on."

"Oh, I'm sure I will," Logan said. "One way or another."

After that, most of the evening went about as expected, with most of the focus either on Tony as the latest supporter for Osborn's campaign or on Logan and the way he and the other victors were clearly _nothing_ like the smear campaign suggested they were. So when Trish left, she was overly excited in general about the prospects for her nightly show — and Clint almost immediately filled her vacated spot, though not actually on Logan's arm, just halfway leaned over with wide eyes.

"You catch all that?"

"No. Parts of it, but not all of it," Logan admitted. "Why do you think I moved?"

Clint nodded at that, though he looked honestly mad as he and Logan headed back to where they were staying. "Well, some of it got jumbled. He's got the basic signs, but I have _no_ idea what he was trying to say for parts of it. I _think_ there was something about a program and some machines, but it got lost in translation."

"He was gettin' nervous toward the end," Logan said, nodding. "Honestly thought he was gonna hug me to start with."

"There's no telling with that guy," Clint said with a dry smirk that didn't last long as he shook his head. "But he was real clear on Katie being with Osborn. That much he didn't stumble on. Spelled out 'collateral' because I don't think he knows the sign for it."

"And we gotta play nice instead of stabbin' him in the face. Go figure." He shook his head with a completely irritated expression. "I _hate_ being right sometimes."

"Well tell you what, once we get the kids out of Osborn's little roundup, you can stab him anywhere you want," Clint promised. "Problem is going to be finding them, since Osborn's not in Eight. So it's not like we can waltz up to Oscorp to find Kate — maybe the others, but if she's with him…"

"I'm sure Skye'll dig hard now that she's got a solid target," Logan said. "And as soon as I get outta this monkey suit, I'll let her know."

Clint nodded, already looking like he was ready to _go_. "As soon as we get those kids out…" He trailed off and shook his head. "Right. One step at a time. Political assassination _after_ everyone' safe."

"Right. And I think you need to tell Skye _exactly_ what you saw, because I know I missed the good stuff."

"There were a lot of 'hurry up's in there. He repeated himself a few times."

"Tell it to the tablet," Logan said. "I'm sure she's waitin' for details."

Clint nodded at that and zipped off to go find Natasha as they headed back, glad at least for some good news and forward progress, even if it wasn't as solid as actually getting everyone back yet.

* * *

 _August 29_

 _Osborn's Capitol Suites_

* * *

It was early morning by the time all the sweet-talking and press stuff was through for Tony, but Kate was up and pacing all the same. It had been disconcerting enough when they'd been moved from wherever they had been kept before — black bags again — to the Capitol, but going from relative privacy in the room by Tony's lab where she could be miserable on her own to having to share a suite with Norman Osborn was probably the most jarring part of the whole experience.

Tony had told her that he figured Fisk was in league with Osborn, considering the project he was working on, but it really was something else to be stuck with the guy whose fault it was that she wasn't with her Elf and not be able to do a thing about it. Because, as he'd reminded her, they still had no idea where their friends were — Peter and the rest of them. And so like Kate knew she was being used against Tony, the missing friends were a threat over her head.

Though on the other hand, Osborn hadn't said anything about not childishly flinging wads of paper at the back of his head. Which she had done until he got annoyed and had her removed to a different room — but it was worth it just to let off a little steam.

When the door opened, she half expected to get dressed down again for 'childishness' but instead, she was relieved to see that Tony was back, and she didn't hesitate to rush over and hug him. "How'd it go?" she asked, honestly concerned about him.

"I think … it went … well," Tony said, looking a bit shell-shocked at the turn the night had taken.

"Yeah?" She looked him over and frowned. "You alright?"

"Well, I did everything Norman said I had to … and then one of your teammates came up and made friendly past my guards."

"Which one?" Kate had to ask, already sure of the answer but hoping it was Kurt anyway.

"The one that apparently knows how to get the press eating out of his hand," Tony said. "Quill was right. Holy crap. He had Trish Walker on his arm all night too, letting her record whatever she wanted. Great. Freakin' move."

Kate broke into a huge smile at that and practically bounced on the balls of her feet. "I'm sure she had the same look you do," she couldn't help but tease. "Last time they were together didn't go so well."

"Oh, no… she looked like the cheshire cat that ate the mouse. Norman is _hot._ " Tony was grinning over it.

"He's not mad at _you_ , is he? For talking to him?"

"Oh, no. He's mad at Logan for breaking his guards on camera and not getting caught. And nuking the bad press he tried to put out … And just … all of it."

"That's our Wolverine," she said with a fond smile before she couldn't stand it anymore and had to ask: "Well? What did he say? What did you say?"

"We kept it oddly about small talk, but I managed to sign. I don't know if he caught it. He didn't sign anything back, but … I think he might have stepped out of the line of sight for one of the others." Tony frowned a little. "I'm _sure_ it's on video. It has to be."

"Well, if Clint was there, we're golden," Kate said, giving Tony's arm a reassuring squeeze. "Thanks," she added as she had to hug him once more. "Even if it didn't work … thanks."

"Logan said he'd come get me himself," Tony said quietly. "I think he guessed about the mic."

"He's gonna put a target on himself," Kate said with a frown.

"Unfortunately, he's also very good at that," Tony pointed out.

"Always has been," Kate agreed before she dropped into a seat and let out a sigh. "And now… I guess we wait."


	21. Blindsided

**Chapter 21: Blindsided**

* * *

 _September 1_

 _District Seven_

* * *

While things were heating up in the Capitol, they were actually relatively quiet around Howlett Manor — a fact that Scott was taking advantage of to get some carving done on an important project. It had taken him a couple months now, just because he could only work on it when Clara wasn't around ... and when someone with a big mouth wasn't around… So, usually, he had to be alone to do it. But the little ring was just about finished. At this point, he was really just fine-tuning it with an almost nervous energy.

The air was already starting to chill, so it was the perfect temperature to sit out on the grounds under a tree and get some carving done, so that was where Scott had been for the past few hours, just tweaking and tuning the ring and keeping half an eye (and ear) out for anyone approaching so he could hide it.

The other day, Josh had almost caught him, and while Scott loved his youngest brother, Josh would _not_ have been able to keep that secret, no matter how quiet he was.

So when he heard someone approaching, he looked up and grinned when he saw that it was Clara, quickly pocketing his project before she could get a good look at it. "Looks like you found me," he teased as he kicked the carving tools behind him. "Or did Josh tell you where I was? He's the one who found the best shade tree on the grounds."

"No, I was looking for you," Clara replied before she took a seat next to him and stole a quick kiss. "Peter Quill is hard to be around when he's celebrating."

"He's … enthusiastic," Scott had to agree, leaning back with an easy grin. "But it's not like the grounds aren't big enough to find a little peace and quiet. Weather's perfect for it."

"Is that your way of telling me to get lost?"

He laughed and leaned over to kiss her. "Not a chance," he said. "Solitude with you? Best way to spend the day."

"The trees are just starting to turn, too. We might just get a beautiful fall before the snow flies."

"Yeah. Hopefully by then the rest of the group will be here to enjoy it. Skye's optimistic," Scott said with a nod.

"She doesn't sound too optimistic when she's swearing at her laptop," Clara pointed out. "Or turning six shades of red on the tablet."

"Both of those things are… kind of normal for her when it's a big project like this," Scott admitted. "Osborn has some real firewalls, as I understand it. And she _always_ turns shades when she's on that tablet. I've seen it."

"Alright then," Clara said with a dismissive little shrug, totally unconcerned. "So. What are we doing on this fine day, handsome?"

"Well, I was just planning to sit under the best shade tree on the grounds for a while, but if you'd rather be out doing things, I've been reliably informed that the lake is 'gorgeous this time of year' by Mrs. O'Malley at least four times."

Clara nodded in an exaggerated way with her eyebrows high. "Wonder why she's doing that so often."

"It's a mystery," Scott said with a smirk. "If only she'd drop more hints."

"Right. That woman has the subtlety of a sledgehammer."

"At least Heather's not living in the house with us anymore — can you imagine?" Scott chuckled as he leaned back on the grass, his arms behind his head.

"I'd rather not," she replied, sliding over to rest her head on his shoulder. "Your family is ...well. I should stop. I have no room when it comes to pushy family."

"They mean well," he said, then paused. "Mine anyway."

She didn't argue the point, and instead just let the subject drop. She looked up at him with a little smile and leaned up to steal another kiss before curling up with one hand over his heart, just enjoying the day. It wasn't too terribly long — in the warm afternoon sun, with the cool breeze coming off the lake making for the perfect fall day — before the two of them drifted off peacefully.

Scott woke up hours later as someone stuck the toe of their boot in his side. It wasn't anything alarming at first, but when the owner of said boot went from a somewhat gentle nudge to a more serious _punt_ …

"What did I tell you, boy?" Victor Creed drawled out over the sound of a _crack_ and Scott's pained and surprised gasp — something had definitely broken when Victor had kicked as hard as he had.

On hearing her brother's voice and Scott's gasp, Clara startled awake and sat up quickly as Scott scrambled to get up as well, holding his side and obviously hurting — but obviously furious as well.

"How did you get here?" Scott demanded.

"Like I'd tell you," Victor laughed. He moved to get a more solid grip on Scott while he was still reeling, and Clara pushed forward, trying to dislodge Victor's grip.

"Just back off," Clara said through gritted teeth — about a split second before Victor lost his temper and brought down a handful of claws on his sister, following it up with a hard punch to the stomach that doubled her over and a hit to the side of her head that knocked her silly.

Scott shouted out when Clara doubled and whirled on Creed, hitting the taller man with a palm strike to his chin as he ground out, "I told you not to touch her," with real fury in his tone.

"You think you can play with the big boys?" Creed drawled out, turning back to Scott with a twisted sort of smile. He advanced on Scott as the younger man squared up in a fighting stance, ready to give it his best shot, and when Creed made the quick advance, Scott didn't shy away, drawing back to give it as good as he was able.

* * *

Inside the manor, it was shaping up to be a lazy day. Hunter was making over Clint's stray dog and Ella — both of whom were in love with David — and Bobbi was just enjoying watching the group of them play... when the whine of an alarm that meant one of the kids had hit their panic button went off.

Bobbi was closest to the door — though Quill had come bursting from the other room a few moments later with some kind of gun she hadn't seen before, ready to fight as soon as Bobbi had checked the coordinates of the distress call... on the outside of the grounds in the treeline.

"Who hit it?" Quill asked as he fell into step with Bobbi.

"Clara."

Quill looked surprised before he let out a low whistle and picked up the pace.

They spotted Clara first, with some serious and definitely distinctive claw marks down her face that she was trying to cover with one hand; with the other, she was trying to help Scott, who just looked _bad_.

"Aw, crap," Quill muttered as Bobbi immediately knelt beside Clara to assess both of them. The five-claw pattern on Scott's injuries matched Clara's, but there were far more of them, as well as a deeper gash across his face and eyes that it looked like Clara had been working on covering when they got there.

"It would be better if we got him to the Capitol," Bobbi said at last in a tone low to Quill. "If you can get him back to the manor—"

"Yeah, got it," Quill said quickly, bending down to scoop up the unconscious kid and wincing at the up-close look. Creed had really worked him over.

"Clara, we'll have Hank get you stitched up as well," Bobbi promised in a tone that was both gentle and urgent at the same time as she pulled the young woman to her feet. "Hank and I will get him stable — and we'll get you both to the Capitol as soon as the others get back with the jet." She gave Clara a tight smile. "Good timing, huh? They were on their way in anyway to switch Charles for Hank so David can have his dad for a while."

"Yeah," Clara said miserably. "Lucky us that it was just a warning."

Bobbi frowned and reached over to halfway pull Clara into her, even as they rushed back to the house. "You'll both be alright," she promised. "You and I both know what SHIELD's got to help with that."

"Yeah, I know," Clara replied. "Which is why he had no trouble adding me to the mix too."

"Did you at least give it back to him?" Bobbi asked.

"I didn't get the chance," Clara said. "He hit me first."

Bobbi made a mental note of that so she could make sure Clara was properly checked over before she nodded. "Quill brought Mac's gun. Apparently, it's good for seven-foot creeps."

"Yeah, I know about Mac's taser," Clara replied. "He needs hot lead. Or a land mine."

"No arguments there," Bobbi said as the little group got up to the manor — and Hank was quick to usher them all inside so he could get down to work.

* * *

The bulk of the victors were returning to Seven — at least for a day or two — in need of a break from the cameras and smiling. Not one of them looked happy; the whole 'campaign' experience was almost as exhausting as the other time they'd spent in the Capitol. They were maybe halfway back when Jubilee shook Logan awake to point out that his tablet was chiming. Again.

"I'm on the way; what can be that pressing?" he said, mostly to himself as he got the little device out.

 _Clear the jet out fast as soon as you land. We need to get right back in the air. Creed showed up again, and he went after Clara and Scott._

Logan sat up a lot straighter as he read the message and sent his own. _How bad is it?_

 _Bad enough they're sending him to the Capitol,_ Skye replied. _Her too, but he's pretty bad off, honestly._

 _What's the damage?_

There was a slight pause, then, _Well, what I'm overhearing from Hank and Bobbi is pretty deep lacerations and bruising and a few breaks. Internal issues, I think? And Creed took all five claws to his face pretty deeply._

"Shit," Logan said, catching Jubilee's attention. _Is he still around?_

 _Not that anyone can see, but Quill swears if he shows his face, he's getting high voltage through him._

 _Tell him to stay close._

 _Will do. Just make sure to clear it fast_

 _Consider it done._

Jubilee leaned over Logan's shoulder with a little frown as Logan put the tablet aside. "Something up?"

"Yeah, pass the word — when we get into Seven's airspace, everyone be ready to just get the hell out. They need the jet as soon as we land. Scott and Clara were attacked."

Jubilee jumped straight into a concerned expression. "Are they okay? Who do I need to kill?"

"You need to keep yourself out of it," Logan told her. "And no, of course they're not okay if they're flying them to the Capitol. It was Vic."

Jubilee's eyes widened, and she nodded quickly. "Right. I'll pass it on."

As soon as they landed, the entire group simply filed out quickly — leaving plenty of room for the two kids to be loaded up with Hank and flown back as soon as the plane had been refuelled. And as the rest of them watched, or quickly got inside, Logan dropped his bag and made a beeline for Quill. "Show me where it happened."

Quill straightened up for a second and then nodded, already setting out at a jog ahead of him — though it was fairly obvious once they got there for as much evidence as was left behind.

Logan took a long look at the mess and circled around it before he found the path that led _away_ from it and headed out to try and track Creed down — with Quill hastily rushing to follow.

'Come on, man; you look beat already. This is not a good idea."

"If I don't do this now, he slips away. _Again._ "

Quill paused at that and then let out all his breath. "I'm coming with you. Just in case Big and Ugly has Slightly Smaller and Ugly with him."

"Great," Logan said, though he hadn't taken his eyes off of the trail.

But half an hour into the hunt, Logan started swearing. The nasty blood trail had not only dropped off to nothing at a road, but there were clear signs that Creed had taken off in some kind of vehicle once he'd reached the road.

Quill swore under his breath as well and then shook his head. "If he wanted to set a trap, he sucks at setting trap trails."

"Let's just go back," Logan grumbled, pushing past him and looking as if he'd been robbed of something all the way back to the scene of the crime, where he stopped and stared at the mess. He circled it and picked up Scott's knives and gouges; the box of them had been more or less scattered in one area. As he gathered the last of them, he paused on seeing the little wooden circle covered in roses and vines that Scott had been working on.

For just a moment, he let the gouge in his hand fall to the ground as he looked at the handmade ring a little closer, frowning deeper the more he looked at it.

"You alright?" Quill finally prompted when Logan had been stopped for a while.

Logan turned to look at Quill and slipped the ring into his front shirt pocket before he stooped to pick up the gouges and knives again. "Sure. When's the next flight back in?"

"Probably as soon as they've dropped off the kids," Quill said.

"Timing on this was a little fishy, don't you think?" Logan said as they headed up to the house.

"What, you don't think a couple months is enough time to recover from what your girl did?" Quill asked, missing Logan's point entirely.

"I think Creed does what he's paid to do," Logan replied. "And it wouldn't have mattered who was outside. Just bad luck for Scott and Clara that it was them."

"You think this was just, what, a _distraction_?" Quill raised both eyebrows high on his head. "That's a pretty serious distraction, man." He shook his head as the two of them headed back to the manor. "Kind of a desperate move, too, going to _that_ kind of distraction. Hate to say it, but it might mean at least we're getting at Norman if he's willing to go to _Victor Creed_."

"I'm saying the timing is questionable. Vic has never done anything to anyone's benefit on accident."

"So what's next then?" Quill asked. "I mean, I'm more than happy to help you find him and send however-many-volts through him, but if you think there's something else we should be focused on…"

"I think that if he was really after me, then he'll be back... but if it's a diversion? That'll be it. He'll disappear into the woodwork again."

"Kinda hoping he comes back, to be honest. I really, really, really want to hit him with this thing. I've heard stories." Quill flipped the gun over a few times in his hands and shot Logan a cocky grin.

"You and me both," Logan replied. "I've got all kinds of things for him next time I see him."

* * *

 _September 2_

 _Capitol Hospital_

* * *

"Are you awake now?" Clara asked. "It's hard to tell with all the bandages."

Scott shifted slightly as he did just that — start to wake up — before he nodded. "Getting there," he muttered, though it was hard to tell, all things considered. Someone had clearly patched him up after that run-in with Creed, but with how heavy the damage had been to his face, that meant Scott couldn't see anything, not with the bandages tightly wound around his eyes… And that combined with the pain medicine made an honest answer to Clara's question difficult.

"Are you alright?" she asked almost sleepily.

"I'm always fine," he said with a shrug, though that didn't feel too great either. The pain medicine they had him on was something else, but he was sore _everywhere_.

"Jeez, I don't even need to see your face to see you're lying," Clara replied as she crossed the room. "Is it alright if I sit with you? I don't want to make anything worse," she asked as she covered his hand with hers.

Scott turned his hand to squeeze hers and nodded. "I'd prefer it, actually," he admitted. "It's a little less…" He waved his hand as he tried to come up with the word. "...disorienting when I've got someone I can hear and touch."

"Then I'll try to be your anchor for a change," she said before she very gingerly took a seat on the edge of his bed.

"For a change?" he repeated with an almost dopey grin. "Come on, Clara."

"Common knowledge that you're the grounded one," she replied.

"With a practical girl to come home to," he teased, then tipped his head to the side. "I can't tell — did that get a smirk? It usually does."

"Of course it did," she said, letting the smirk stretch into a small smile, though she was trying not to.

" _You_ doing alright?" he asked. "And don't lie to me just because I can't see you; I'll figure it out somehow."

"Considering you're the one on heavy pain killers, yes, I'm alright."

"I didn't ask if you were alright in _relation_ to anything," he said, shaking his head slowly... though that was a weird sensation too. Dark and floating and moving ... not a good combination.

"I'll be fine, Scott," she said in a tired-sounding exhale.

"He hit you," Scott said with a frown.

"Yes, he does that sometimes," she admitted.

"I probably could've given it back to him better if I had Mac's gun - it's in the foyer," Scott grumbled.

"I'm very sure someone is carrying it with them now," she replied. "And he'll get it."

Scott nodded at that and then leaned back tiredly. "So, what's the prognosis, Nurse Clara?" he asked in an attempt at a teasing tone. "When do I get to see the most beautiful girl in Marvel again?"

She shook her head and got up, only to get a little closer and give him a kiss. "You'll live," she said. "Beyond that, I really don't know. There have been a lot of very important-looking doctors in here."

"And I missed it," he said with a bit more of that dopey grin from earlier. "I could have helped you pitch your resume — you'd be the best nurse in the country two weeks in."

"Only for you, goofball."

"I'm a little biased."

"So am I," she said. "Why do you think you get such good care?"

Scott grinned at her as he ran his thumb over her knuckles. "That's a good point," he admitted. "Guess I lucked out."

* * *

 _September 5_

 _Capitol Hospital_

* * *

It had taken a couple days, but Scott had more or less figured out where everything was in the room, so there was much less bumping into things than there had been the _first_ time he'd decided to stretch his legs — which he'd gotten in trouble for. But sitting there in the dark was going to drive him nuts if he couldn't _do_ something.

He could, for example, turn the television on to listen to the election coverage from his bed, but he'd much rather _get up_ to do it.

"I know you didn't want it? But I brought you some candy," Skye said, her voice startling him out of his thoughts as she came in and took an open seat near him. "Lots of chocolate."

Scott smiled her way as he found his seat again and tipped his head in the direction of her voice. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Oh, you know," she replied airily, "checkin' on my favorite ex-tribute. Staying kinda close to my favorite victor … and I really, really needed to see Coulson. My three favorite guys in one place. How could I _not_ be here?"

"Any reason you _really_ needed to see Coulson?" Scott asked, raising an eyebrow — not that Skye could see it.

"Anxiety," she said with no hesitation and a little nod to herself. "When things get freaky, I like to see him."

"Well, I hope it helped," Scott said.

"Little bit," she admitted. "And, you know, I'd rather be here with you than alone in my hotel room."

"Oh yeah, I've got all the amenities here," he said with a dry smirk.

"It's the company, you goober," she said before she tossed another candy bar his way, simply to hit him with something.

The chocolate bar hit him in the chest, and he caught it as it fell with both hands. "Hey. No fair throwing things."

"I figured you wouldn't want me babying you," she said. "So this is me. Not babying you."

Scott paused and tipped his head to the side before a little smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "I appreciate that. Honestly."

"Well, you're very welcome," she said before she leaned back and tried to get comfortable. "I know for a fact there is nothing to listen to but election coverage, or I'd … I dunno. Put a movie on or something."

"No, I've been listening to the coverage," Scott said with a nod. "Sounds like Logan got in yesterday. They're having a small field day with him and Tony."

"Yep, those two are something else," she agreed. "But Trish Walker has the exclusive time with Logan, so … our friendly networks are getting some great on-the-spot footage and an amazingly good commentary. Their ratings are wiping the floor with the other guys."

"Yeah, so I've been hearing. Sounds like he's been busy."

"He's trying to get a minute with Osborn, but that's not as easy as him slipping up on Stark."

"Which he hasn't been able to do again. Trish has been disappointed." Scott shrugged up both shoulders. "Like I said, I've been listening. Not much else to do."

She was quiet for a moment. "Anything you want to talk about, aside from the stupid election?"

Scott paused as he thought about it. He wasn't too excited to talk about the thing on the _forefront_ of his mind, but... "I don't suppose ... this might be a dumb question. But did anyone manage to save my jeans before they brought me in here?"

She was confused for a moment and turned her head toward the dresser in the room. "All of your clothes are in a bag right here — do you want me to get them for you?"

"If you could just… check the pockets on the jeans," he said.

"Sure," she said, getting up quickly to do as he'd asked. She took her time and went through the pockets and then picked up the bag to look into the bottom. "There's nothing here."

Scott let out a breath that moved through his whole body as he swore quietly. "That's what I thought, but… It must have fallen out," he said quietly.

"What must have fallen out?" Skye asked as she sat down with him again and put a hand on his arm.

He tipped his head to the side, considering her for a long time before he seemed to decide it was alright to bring her in. "The ring I was working on," he said in a quiet, low tone.

"The what now?" she said just as quietly. "How long …"

"A few months," he said. "I had the design just right, too."

"Well … tell me what it looked like and I'll go search for it myself. Maybe it fell out of your pockets!"

Scott let out a sigh as he leaned back. "When? At the manor? In the plane? In the ER?"

"I'll check all of them," she said. "Months of work? Come on."

"I'd say I could make another one, but…" He gestured at the bandages around his eyes.

"No, don't … don't give up," she said, sounding upset. "It's not over. You … they'll fix it."

But Scott just shook his head, looking even more tired than before. "No, they told me this morning," he said.

"Well. They're … just... _wrong._ "

"It's alright, Skye," he said quietly. "Really. I'll adjust."

"No, you don't understand," she said, shaking her head. "They've fixed stuff like this before. Ororo..."

"Skye," he said tiredly, "they're not running the Tahiti program anymore."

"I know, but … Scott."

"It's really fine," he said. "Takes a little getting used to, but I think I've at least got the layout of the room. The manor will take longer, obviously…"

"But I'm going to need you to tell me how cute my kid is! That on its own is reason enough to find a way, Mr. Summers."

"Hey, I won't complain if you do find a way," Scott said, holding up both hands. "It's just a long shot. The damage is pretty deep."

"Not as deep as the damage he's going to get," Skye muttered.

"Yeah, maybe don't go after him until after your cute kid comes, alright?" Scott said earnestly. "I'm sure she's going to take after you," he added with a teasing smirk.

"Well, I'm not going to believe anyone but you — so you're on notice. It _will_ work. Somehow."

"Yes ma'am," he said with another little smirk. He leaned back as he unwrapped the chocolate bar she'd thrown at him and tipped his head at the television. "Any forward motion on our captured friends?" he asked to change the subject.

"I have an algorithm running," she replied. "Trying to break into their coding and security. See if I can find a trace of Stark's signature on anything."

"Well, it's not just Tony who knows how to code."

"No, but he's the most advanced in the country," she replied. "And he _always_ puts in his signature."

"Yeah, but Osborn hasn't brought out any of the spiders," Scott pointed out. "Which means he doesn't have the control over them that he has over some of the others."

"Do you really think that Peter Parker is going to play along if they bring him out?" Skye asked with a little smirk.

"Not without putting him through whatever Johnny's been through," Scott said. "You can hear it when he talks, by the way. It's slower than usual."

"Which would be totally a giveaway. Peter is way too bubbly to come off that … depressed."

"So if they're not playing puppets, what are they up to?" Scott pointed out. "Tony said something about a program, right?"

"Not sure, but I'll figure it out," she replied. "Keep telling me it won't work and I'll be mad enough to hack in come three o'clock this morning."

Scott paused, smirked, and tipped his head at her. "Skye," he said, completely straightfaced. "It won't work."

She grinned his way. "Just for that," she said, taking his hand and pulling it over to rest on her stomach. "You get baby kicks."

Scott broke into the broadest grin she'd seen on his face when he felt the little one moving around underneath his hand. "Oh you're in trouble," he teased. "She's active."

"I've been in trouble for a long time," she laughed.

"He's lucky to have you," Scott said, still grinning over the little baby kicks. "Just a couple more months, right?"

"That's what they say," she agreed. "She's going to need 'Uncle Scott' snuggles."

"Well, cousin, but close enough," he teased.

"'Uncle' sounds better. That's your official title now."

Scott held up both hands in a gesture of surrender. "Can't argue with the mom-to-be," he said.

The two of them just kept each other company for a good, long while, and though Scott couldn't see it, Skye kept looking his way, more and more upset with his predicament. When it looked like the night was wrapping up, she quickly cleared her throat and tried to keep from crying — she just had to make it another couple of minutes — before she gave Scott a quick hug and promised to come see him soon.

"Do not give up, mister," she said sternly.

"What, and deny you the fuel to hack into Oscorp?" he had to tease her gently.

"Oh, they are going to be so nuked tonight, I can't even begin to go there right now. I'm serious."

"I'll expect to have all of the spiders in this room by the weekend," he said with a smirk. He gave her arm a little squeeze and then waved her off, and she made it to the hallway before she got upset, already moving to call up Fitz.

The elevator doors closed before Fitz picked up the other end of the line, and she launched right into it: "I have a project that you _need_ to give top priority to."

"Oh. Alright," Fitz said, sounding surprised. "What do you need, then?"

"Victor Creed _blinded_ my favorite ex-tribute. You need to fix it."

There was a pause on the other end of the line. "I can work on the bionic replacements, but Skye ... Jemma did the surgeries for that kind of thing."

"I know, I know," she said, though it was clear from the tone of her voice that she was crying. "And I will find her. Myself."

"Skye, are you alright?" Fitz asked, sounding concerned. "Are you with Logan? You should be."

"I will be — but this is _important._ You can't wait for Simmons to get going on this."

"Right, right," Fitz said quickly. "No, I can start right away, yeah, I just... Maybe you should take a breath."

"I'll be fine," she said, though it was clear she was still crying.

"Where's Coulson? Or Logan? You shouldn't be upset by yourself, Skye."

"I told you — I'm going there now. I just left Scott. That's all."

"Ah." She could almost see the Fitz nod of understanding. "Right then. Well. I'm going to get started on this. Might even add in a few improvements. Get Clara to sign off on the color. All that."

"His eyes were brown," Skye said. "A perfect, deep, chocolate brown."

"Careful now, Skye. You're a married woman," Fitz couldn't help but tease.

She stopped cold and let her jaw drop open for just a moment. "Oh. ha-ha, very funny."

"I thought it was."

"I'll call tomorrow," she said with a little smirk. "Thanks, Fitz."

"Anytime," Fitz said before he hung up to get to work on Skye's assignment.


	22. Spidey SOS

**Chapter 22: Spidey SOS**

* * *

 _September 6_

 _Phil Coulson's Office_

* * *

"I haven't been this tired since the stupid Games," Logan grumbled. "Why are we here ao early again?"

It had been another long night with Trish Walker, and although Logan could put up a good show, it was getting wearing. The closer they got to the election, the more outlandish the questions from the reporters became — and the more they kept repeating certain ones, hoping to trip up the victors that were still in the press game with him.

So far, it hadn't worked, but even Sam was getting close to snapping at one of them for asking repeatedly if they backed Hill or Osborn 'all things considered'. So coming down early, even at Skye's request, was taxing.

"There is literally no other time I can get two of my favorite people on the planet in the same place right now," Skye pointed out as she pushed him a mug of coffee. "Plus, we're celebrating. I'm most of the way through Osborn's firewalls, and after a good, solid, fifteen-minute cat nap to refresh, I'll have it broken by lunchtime."

"I swear to God you operate on sunshine and sugar," Logan muttered into his mug.

"Lies. I operate on pure spite. Especially in this case," she said, but she couldn't help but kiss his cheek all the same.

"What have you got, Skye?" Coulson asked, smirking at both of them, since, honestly, things always seemed to look up when either of them was working on this project — and both of them were enough to make a noticeable dent in Osborn's armor. Even on the first day.

"Well, it's not the keys to Oscorp _yet_ , but I _can_ tell you that there was definitely some kind of security stuff for his company going on in One, oh, about the same time Tony showed up. So I think I found exactly the moment they moved our friends," Skye said triumphantly. "I'm just trying to follow the security codes now."

"Do you have a location yet?" Coulson asked.

Skye shook her head. "I _had_ one, but I checked the cameras and the hotel records, and it seems like Osborn's been moving to different suites every night, so it's old by this point. I'll let you know if I find the _current_ location."

"Oughta be able to get a few good guys in there pretty quick," Logan said, nodding to himself.

"Oh at least," Skye said with a nod as she leaned back with her coffee. "But, honestly, the second problem is that I think that's just where the on-camera captives are. I have _no_ clue where the others are."

"I still think the lab rats are at Oscorp," Logan said. "Probably locked up in a sub-basement."

"And I'll probably know that too by the time I'm done with this," Skye said, smirking widely. "Election's a week from today. We've got time."

Coulson returned the smirk Skye's way as she and Logan gently picked on each other over their coffee, and he returned his attention to the various monitors and screens across the back wall of his office. The sound was turned down because there were so many of them, but the captions and banner headlines gave him a quick update on the situation. Hill was ahead, according to most polls, and the morning shows were attributing most of that to the push from the victors.

It was honestly just a relaxing morning... until he did almost a double take on seeing the feed from one of the morning shows — not Trish, of course — and he automatically pulled up on the screen closest to him, backtracking the footage to start from the beginning. The panel announced a new guest for that morning... and Kate joined the group of panelists sitting on a couch in what was obviously a purple maternity shirt, one hand resting on her stomach as she almost shyly said hello to each of the reporters.

As soon as Coulson turned the volume up, Logan and Skye stopped everything they were doing and stared at the screen.

 _Don't get me wrong; I love Logan,_ Kate was saying. _It's just that we disagree here. Ever since I found out…_ She trailed off and looked down at herself, seeming to gather her thoughts. _Anyway, security and safety has become much more important to me. And it's a concern that Norman_ — _sorry, Mr. Osborn_ — _definitely shares._

It went on like that for most of the segment as Kate very quietly and politely answered all their questions — on everything from whether that meant she was supporting Osborn ("that's what I said, isn't it?") to how far along she was ("not very, honestly, but I'm still excited") to whether or not she would support either candidate who won ("oh, we'll just have to see how things turn out, I guess").

"Hill is going to want a stronger stance," Coulson said, turning toward Logan as soon as the segment was over.

Skye glanced at Coulson and threw her hands in the air. "That's it," she said. "I'm breaking this code _now_. That is just _wrong_."

"She didn't actually back him," Logan pointed out. "I want bugs for Tony or Osborn — or both."

"We can get it to you before your next appearance," Coulson agreed. "I doubt you'll be able to get to Osborn."

" _Watch me_. Have Trish shadow Sam instead."

"Have Trish shadow _me_ ," Skye offered.

"No," both of them said in unison.

"Wow. Stereo. That's always fun," Skye grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Sorry, Director," Logan said with a smirk before he leaned over to kiss her cheek. "The interim director is right."

Skye tipped her head back. "Come _on_. This is a low blow, even for Norman Osborn."

"What's your reasoning to get on camera?" Coulson asked. "No one knows who you're married to, and if you did get on camera, it'd just be fuel for Osborn to say Logan's with SHIELD, _Agent_ Skye."

Skye glared at Coulson and dragged both hands over her face. "Okay, fine. Yeah. But that doesn't make me any less pissed off, and I really, really want to give him a piece of my mind. I mean, the whole country is finding out _before Kurt gets to hear it from her_."

"Kurt's gonna kill Osborn bare-handed," Logan said evenly. "I'll watch the door."

Skye crossed her arms again, glared at both of them, and then snatched up her coffee mug. "If anyone needs me, you know where to find me," she called over her shoulder. " _Destroying_ the Green Goblin's firewalls, since I can't destroy him in person."

"She has a point," Logan said once the door closed behind her. "I just think she'd lose her eloquence when the first reporter pissed her off."

Coulson had to smirk as he nodded. "You haven't seen her being questioned, have you? It's a small train wreck."

"I have," he said. "Breaks down to very easy to read expressions and single syllable words that are _not_ connected. It'd be kind of adorable if it wasn't such a glaring security hazard."

Coulson let out a sigh as he nodded and then gestured toward the screens as the other networks started to pick up Kate's story. "It's not a coincidence he put her out in the public eye the day after Skye started to make a dent in his security," he told Logan seriously. "Be careful."

"I would hope that if I can juggle Thanos and the evil triplets, I should be able to handle _Norman_."

"I have to say it all the same," Coulson said with a small smile.

"Let me see whatever intel you can get a hold of today — on everything," Logan said.

"It's yours as soon as I see it," Coulson agreed.

"Then I'll just stick around — keep the trail to a minimum."

"Be ready to go to Eight if Skye makes progress there as well," Coulson told him.

"I'm always ready to go after Petey," Logan promised.

Coulson nodded and then leaned back. "Then, for the time being, I don't have anything for you. I'd suggest getting some rest before your wife gets back with the keys to nuke Osborn."

"You got it," Logan said. "And good luck." He got up and headed out of Coulson's office, giving him the privacy to make and take the calls that were flooding in already.

* * *

 _September 10_

 _District Eight_

* * *

It had taken Skye a little longer than she'd wanted it to, but she did finally break through enough of Norman's encryptions to confirm that Oscorp did have not only sub-basements but several buildings not on any official charters in Eight that the team could look into. Unfortunately, he was still moving around too much with Kate and Tony — who were drawing in huge ratings for him —to pin down where _they_ were, but at least this was a start in the right direction for finding the lab rats.

Kurt had flown out from Seven to be part of the team, along with Wade, and Logan met them with Clint and Natasha after they were done in the Capitol. The first thing that Kurt did when he saw Logan was to run up to his friend, his gaze questioning. "Anything yet?"

"No, but we've got a plan in place, ready to roll," Logan replied quietly. "He keeps movin' with 'em. So we're gonna have to get better ways to follow him."

Kurt nodded, though he didn't look too happy about it as he twisted the handle of one of his swords. "Right," he said softly.

"I already told Coulson you're gonna kill him," Logan said. "And I'll watch your back. It's settled."

"Good. Then we can find Peter as well, and he can help us get to that point," Kurt said with a nod.

Natasha cleared her throat to draw their attention. "We have a positive hit on facial recognition," she said. "With a hidden message that pinged our system along with it. Security is high, so, all that training you boys did for Weapon X won't go to waste after all."

"Remember, you have to keep your faces off camera. Any tip offs in our direction will sink Hill," May told the little group.

"Lucky for us, whichever camera pinged us this time was Pete's," Clint said with a smirk. "The 'Spidey SOS' with the coordinates was a dead giveaway."

"And though I hate to say I was right …" Logan said, giving May a look.

"If you'd been wrong, a raid on Oscorp would have catapulted him into the presidency," May pointed out. "But yes, you were right."

"Technically, it's not in Oscorp," Natasha said. "At least, the sublevel isn't in Oscorp. The only entrance and exit is through Osborn's building. The place they're being held is across the street and several stories down, accessible through a tunnel attached to the lowest sublevel in Oscorp."

"All the police force cameras will be out as we go in," Logan said. "Gwen's dad was kind enough to leak the codes to temporarily kill their surveillance. We'll have exactly one hour to get in and out — and Skye's already in their system, disabling it as we go."

"That will be plenty of time," Kurt said as he twirled his swords and then rushed forward to lead the way out, ready to get moving.

"Follow the bamf-master, then," Wade said with a little chuckle as he did almost the exactly same move with his katanas in a twirl.

"Guys, I know you're ready to kick it into high gear, but we still have to wait for our director to give us clearance," Logan said as he made his way between Kurt and Wade. "She's pushing the buttons for us."

"It's much more fun to kick down the doors," Kurt said.

"I agree, but this is covert. When it comes to Norman himself, I want you to bring a bag full of those damn smoke pellets and maybe just scare him to death."

Kurt almost chuckled. "I just might," he said, slowing down a bit. "But there's no reason we can't at least head in that direction, and honestly, _mein Freund_ , I am tired of standing _still_."

"If the intel is right, you'll have plenty of creeps to work out your frustration," Logan told him.

The little group approached the entrance to Oscorp and more or less circled it, waiting for Skye's cue to move in — so that when it came, they were ready to _move_ , descending on the building quickly, quietly, and invisible to the cameras.

As they rushed in, Logan and Wade took a new angle to cover their tracks — something that Fitz had designed based on a polymer that they'd found in a lab run by Dr. Lykos to simply gum up the cameras. He'd loaded up several cartridges for them to shoot the cameras inside the building, so that all they ever caught was a rush of black before their feed was obscured, clearing the path for the team to move in.

From there, Skye was feeding them intel as to which corners to take and how to get to the tunnel connecting the main Oscorp building to the underground lab. It was almost a straight shot with Skye in their ears, and they didn't run into any trouble until they actually arrived at the other end of the tunnel. Kurt and Wade led the charge — and were each tackled by a former victor.

Neither Kurt nor Wade wanted to stab either of their attackers, but it was quickly clear that wasn't going to be their main problem. Even as Kurt sheathed his swords, Johnny simply bowled him over, stronger than his gaunt appearance would suggest as he took Kurt to the ground. Which was all the more disturbing as he laid into Kurt with a totally neutral expression on his face.

Wade was more or less trying to avoid Jessica, though she finally got him in a good grip and started simply pounding him. He had barely been able to keep his arms over his face to stop her from bashing his face in when Logan got to his side to help.

He slipped between Wade and Jessica with a block, and started countering her moves, blocking her at every hit until she lunged at him in a rage and Logan wrapped himself around her and took her to the ground. "Come on, Jess, knock it off. I know you're not drugged."

But she just struggled and wriggled, trying to break free as he held her tighter, waiting for the others to settle the fight with Johnny.

In the meantime, Clint had managed to haul Johnny backward by the shoulders to give Kurt room to breathe, and the two of them fell into a wrestling match while Natasha helped Kurt to his feet and then wordlessly gestured past the fight. The two of them slipped around Clint and Johnny — Johnny was clearly getting in the stronger hits, but Clint had managed to wrap himself around Johnny from behind to try to choke him into passing out.

It didn't take long before Johnny did, in fact, pass out, and then Clint looked over Logan's way with a little wince as he got to his feet. "Got a tranq?" he offered Logan.

"Unless you plan on leaving me here to just hold her," he replied.

Clint smirked. "Never know. Could be educational for the kiddies. How to Stop a Rampaging Victor: 101."

"I swear to God, if you finish that with 'hug them,' I'm going to shave your head while you sleep."

"Wrong Hawkeye," Clint said as he pulled out a tranq arrow, twirled it, and stuck the end in Jess' arm, watching until she finally went limp and Logan could step back from her. "We're gonna have to carry these two, so I'm really hoping the others aren't gonna be a problem too, or we're short on arms."

"Tie her first," Logan said. "Jess'll fake it when she starts to come around."

Clint was already pulling rope out of his quiver. "I'll get Johnny too. You go catch up to Nat and Kurt."

"On it," Logan agreed, gently slipping out and setting Jess's head on the floor before he rushed to find the others.

* * *

Natasha and Kurt, in the meantime, had found where the lab was that the captured scientists had been working in — though it didn't look like anyone was home this late at night. "There must be sleeping quarters around here," Natasha directed Kurt's way. "You check them out, and I'll get pictures of this stuff so we can be sure to counter whatever it was they were working on later."

Kurt nodded and took off down the hallway until he found one lined with doors that locked on the outside — which he took the liberty of unlocking with one of his swords. The first room he levered open was Miles', and the youngest spider was dead to the world asleep until the door burst open and he sat bolt upright with wide eyes and a half muttered "Wasgonon?" before he saw Kurt and just stared, clearly trying to work out whether or not he was still asleep.

"Is Kate here?" Kurt asked, looking through the room already.

Miles rubbed the sleep from his eyes and then seemed to decide that yes, this was really happening as he shook his head and threw back the covers. "Ah, no; we didn't even know she was part of this crazy circus until she hit the news," he admitted, pulling on some socks and shoes.

"Do you have any trackers on you?" Logan asked as he arrived too, though he was already digging in a side pocket on his belt for something.

"Oh, uh, yeah. Don't know where, but that's part of the whole 'you can never leave for I am evil' thing Ozzie the Horrible has going on in this creepy place," Miles said as he grabbed a sweatshirt and pulled it on over his pajamas.

"Not for long," Logan told him as he handed him a tiny device. "Turn this on; it'll scramble anything electronic on you."

"Great," Miles said, pocketing the device and grinning. "Who'd you bring with you? I mean, is this a full-on all-hands-on-deck or…?"

"We'll talk about it later," Logan said. "Right now, take us to the others and let's get the hell out of here. We already have Johnny and Jess down."

"Oh, alright, well, Pete's just down the hall, and the girls are around the corner," Miles said, already leading the way.

"You want the dashing rescue?" Logan called out to Kurt.

"Oh, always," Kurt said with a nod.

"Then I'll take the geeky one," Logan agreed before he headed off the way Miles had pointed. There weren't too many doors, and it was the second one that was occupied, as he learned very quickly.

"Petey, you comin' or what?" Logan called out.

Peter startled at the noise and stared at Logan in a way reminiscent of what Miles had been doing earlier before he simply scrambled up to the door, nearly tripping over himself before he surprised Logan with an honest-to-goodness hug that knocked the breath out of him.

"Take it easy, Petey," Logan said, carefully returning the hug. "You hit your head or something?"

"Just really, _really_ glad to see you," Peter said, finally letting go as he looked around. "How did you — did you get our SOS? We've had it set for days now."

"Yep," Logan said, nodding. "He's got Kate pandering for him."

"Yeah, I saw," Peter said, his expression twisting for a moment. "She's not here, though. We haven't seen her or Tony. I saw him doing the same thing on the news too."

"Let's get the hell out of here," Logan said as he handed Peter one of Fitz's mini scramblers. "This will kill anything electronic you've got on you."

"Oh good, because old Normykins has issues with, you know, freedom of movement," Peter said, pulling another face as he stuck the scrambler in his pocket, though his expression turned into a grin for a moment. "I offered to go on camera for him, but he didn't take it."

"Can't imagine why," Logan said. "I'll ask him what his trouble is next time I see him."

"It's a mystery," Peter agreed with a grin that got wider when they rounded the corner to catch up to the others and he saw that Kurt was with Simmons and Gwen. And Kurt looked just as surprised as Logan had been when Peter's immediate reaction was the exact same — practically tackling Kurt in a hug.

"Are we all getting rescuer hugs, because if so, it's my turn next," Wade said as he poked his head out from the lab.

"Later," Logan called his way. "Let's get out of here first." He was pushing them _hard_ to move, and when they got back to Clint, he didn't even break stride as he picked up Jess and put her over his shoulder. "Quicker is better in this case, kids," Logan called out before he broke into a little jog.

"No arguments here," Gwen agreed as they matched his pace, with Clint taking up the rear and carrying Johnny in a fireman's carry.

It wasn't until they were loaded up and in the air that Logan let out a breath and ran both hands through his hair as he leaned back. "Any of ya have any idea how nasty that really was?" he said quietly to Peter once Peter had settled in and gotten over the euphoria of getting _out._

"Uh, yeah. Lived it," Peter pointed out.

"How many charges did you count in that tunnel?"

Peter's expression dropped, and he immediately blanched. "I … was not paying attention to the walls," he muttered, wide-eyed.

"Top corners, every ten feet."

Peter just stared at Logan for a long while. "That's the only exit, too," he half-whispered.

Logan nodded but didn't express his thoughts on it, though it was pretty clear that if things had gone too far south, or they would have been caught, Norman would have buried them alive.

Peter suppressed a little shiver before he turned to Logan and shook his head. "Well, tell me who's on the team getting Kate out. We should warn them about that kind of thing."

"I'm out," Logan said, shocking Peter for a moment. "At least the way the plan is written up right now. But Clint, Nat, Kurt … Sam. Plenty of good people on it."

Peter looked around the plane. "So ... not yet. Do you at least know where they are?" he asked. "Because I saw Kate on television and ... did you guys _know_ about the…?"

"No," he said. "All I know is that I'm the distraction."

"That historically is not the best look on you," Peter pointed out. "And I'm kind of really enjoying you being alive right now, all things considered."

"We can't get a solid location on 'em 'cause Norman keeps movin' 'em," Logan explained. "So, the next big soiree we both go to, the team'll follow him."

"That's cutting it kind of close, isn't it? I thought the next big thing was the night before the election."

"No other choice right now," Logan said. "He's cut his appearances down — particularly with those two."

Peter shook his head. "He's totally nuts, Logan," he said seriously. "Except for when he's totally sane, which is almost worse."

"If it comes up sooner — or if Skye can break through Stark's encryption — we'll move on it faster."

"I'll help," Peter said quickly. "Me and Gwen and Miles — we've been working on some coding for weeks anyway. We're pretty intimately familiar with what's Normy's and what's not."

"Then you can volunteer when we get back. Fitz'll clear you before you leave the plane," Logan told him.

"Great," Peter said, stretching out his hands in front of him. "I'm looking forward to using my powers for good."

"Be careful," Logan warned. "She's on a 'vengeance' hack right now."

"Oooh, I'll stay out of the way, then," Peter said, nodding seriously. "What got her started?"

"Norman using Kate's pregnancy as a prop," Logan said frankly. "She was telling Coulson to give her a camera."

"Oooh that would do it," Peter said, nodding seriously. "None of us even knew he had her. Or that she was _pregnant_. When did _that_ happen?"

Logan leaned very close to whisper to Peter for the rest of their conversation. "Kurt didn't find out until we'd searched for days for her. Came home to find tiny purple shoes. I know Norman pulled a number on you guys? But he's got first whack."

Peter's eyes were wide as he nodded seriously. "Oh yeah. That… that's just evil." He paused and seemed to consider it. "But somehow a classic Norman move. Which is just proof of how evil he is."

"I think he hired Creed as a diversion too," Logan continued. "After the first appearances we did. He attacked Clara and Scott."

"Are they okay?" Peter asked quickly. "He didn't kill them or anything?"

"Clara has a few scars," Logan said, looking more irritated. "Scott's blind."

"Wait. What?"

"Fitz is workin' on it," he told him quietly.

"Well, we've got Fitz's better half now, so that should help," Peter pointed out.

"Yeah, they'll fix him up, I'm sure," Logan agreed.

"I can web Creed's own claws to his face if he shows up again," Peter offered. "It would be the strong stuff. Can't break through it without the dissolving agent, even with a truck."

"Keep away from him," Logan warned. "He's out to maim and kill. And we just got you back from one creep, alright?"

"Don't worry; I'm not going anywhere except to help get the rest of Team Awesome altogether," Peter promised. "Just don't go getting killed by him either, alright? I already thought you were dead once."

"That's not gonna happen," Logan said with a little smirk. "He's not good enough."

"That's because he's a horrible, smelly, big ugly moron," Peter said with a nod. "Just… humor me and bring backup, okay? I mean it."

"Sure thing, Petey," Logan agreed. "Back up would be fine."

"Good, 'cause you know something? I think me and Gwen are actually gonna get married after all this, and with Skye and Kate both working on Team Awesome: The Next Generation, I'm pretty sure you need to stick around." Peter shifted with his hands clasped in front of him. "I… kinda thought you and Kurt were dead. In the attack where I got grabbed."

Logan turned his way with a scrunched up nose. "Why the hell would you think that?"

"Norman had it on video when you two went down — told me he was testing out a neurotoxin," Peter admitted. "It wasn't until Jemma got in that I found out he was full of it. I mean, I knew he was. But. For that…"

"You don't gotta worry about that, Petey."

"Yeah, I'm just saying… if you could not die for real, that would be awesome."

"Well I'm sure as hell not trying to," Logan pointed out. "And I'd rather avoid it as long as I can."

"Good." Peter leaned back against the wall of the jet and looked every bit relieved. "Did you at least save my room for me?" he asked after a moment of silence.

"Oh sure," Logan said, nodding as he got settled in for the flight, obviously ready to take a nap. "It's there with all your crap."

"Great. Thanks," Peter said, grinning Logan's way before he turned his attention to Gwen as Logan got in a few winks on the flight back.


	23. Half a Rescue

**Chapter 23: Half a Rescue**

* * *

 _September 11_

 _Howlett Estate_

* * *

Although Clint and Logan had been sure to tie both Johnny and Jess down once they got to Hank's medical setup in the house, the two former captives had vastly different reactions upon waking up. Jess did try and get out, exhausting every option before she finally slumped back against the bed in frustration. But Johnny didn't move in the slightest, watching Jess almost disinterestedly.

Hank had both of them on an IV to deal with any drugs they might have in their systems, and Bobbi had volunteered to help once they got started, though already, it was clear that the two former victors would require vastly different approaches.

Jess was engaged with her surroundings, combative, insisting to be let go and trying to talk her way out of the situation — and Johnny just seemed to be watching and waiting.

"She'll be harder," Bobbi told Charles in an undertone. "There's hardly any trace of drugs in her system, but Johnny ... it looks like he's been in a haze for weeks now. The hardest part will be the comedown from the drugs, honestly."

"Then we'll just have to start with her while he detoxes," Charles agreed.

Bobbi ran both hands over her face as she glanced at her good friend tied down like she was. "It would be easier if we knew what methods Norman was using, like we knew before," she muttered.

"Do you have any suggestions?" Charles asked.

"I can tell you a few basics that Whitehall would use for 'compliance' when it was a rush job," Bobbi said. "It would get about what we're seeing here — more or less the same person, but with the wrong agenda."

"Then let's start there and see if we have any progress," Charles agreed before he gestured to the girl in the room. "I'm afraid you'll have to lead me through it."

"Hey, if something good can come out of all the time I spend learning these techniques, I'm here for anything you need," Bobbi promised.

* * *

 _September 12_

 _Capitol Hospital_

* * *

The TV in Scott's room was playing the news, like always. The reporters were still talking about the mysterious earthquake that had hit the center of District Eight in the early morning the previous day, though no one had any idea what had happened to cause it.

Considering the fact that Skye's most recent visit had been to celebrate the return of the spiders, though, Scott was sure he had some idea.

"You should be able to get outta here soon," Logan said as he stepped into Scott's room. He'd been watching the young man from the doorway for a little while, frowning to himself as he watched how Scott was reacting to everything around him. Murdock on Slim was not a good thing.

"Yeah, I'm hitching with whoever flies back to Seven next," Scott said with a nod.

"That's probably us," he said, taking a seat nearby, still frowning as he looked him over. The bandages that everyone had talked about were long gone, but the sunglasses — the very, very dark sunglasses — didn't really do much for him. "Sorry I didn't get in sooner to see you."

"You've been busy," Scott said, tipping his head toward the television. "I've heard."

"Well. Fitzsimmons has been reunited, and they're going bonkers — you're next. Ella's been miserable."

Scott smirked the slightest bit as he nodded. "Honestly, I'm looking forward to it. Not that I don't appreciate the sudden popularity, but just Clara and Ella and a door with a lock… Can't beat that."

"You're missing somethin' on that list, aren't you?" Logan asked. "I picked up your knives and stuff."

Scott visibly straightened. "You ... didn't happen to find what I was working on, did you?" he asked.

"Actually," Logan said as he pulled the box out of his pocket. "I did. But there was a problem with it." He took Scott's hand and set the box into it. "Hope you don't mind the little adjustment, but that wood was going to split in no time."

Scott was half holding his breath with both eyebrows raised as he opened the box and gingerly took out the little gold ring in it, totally quiet for a long while as he ran his fingers over the inlaid designs.

"I made sure that they did a perfect mold before they cast it in white gold; the original is under the velvet in the box."

Scott looked totally gobsmacked, though he couldn't stop smiling even if he'd realized he was doing it. "You didn't have to do any of that," he finally managed to say, still tracing the designs absently.

"I rarely stick to just what I have to do," Logan replied. "I wanted to. Don't worry. I didn't tell a soul. Outside of the jeweler, of course."

Scott was still and clearly trying to work out a response for a while before he let out a breath of a laugh. "Thanks," he said. "Really. It's… I thought I lost it. Thank you."

"You're welcome," Logan replied quietly. "Rest up. We'll be headed back before you know it. And Jubilee sent you clothes so you don't have to 'go home looking like a hobo', as she put it."

"Yeah. Can't bring dishonor to the Line," Scott smirked.

"Exactly."

Logan was quiet for a while, though he just watched Scott as he compared the two rings, running his fingers carefully over every divot and tiny detail. The more he watched the kid, the more he wanted to skip the press junket crap and go hunting for Creed — but he wasn't going to interrupt the grin that kept growing as Scott found more and more of the perfectly-replicated details.

* * *

 _The Pre-Election Final Night Party in the Capitol_

* * *

All the stops had been pulled out for one last party the night before the election. Sure, there would be a victory party the next night for whoever it was that ended up as Marvel's next president, but this was the last chance to win influence, make friends. And with his victors missing and the raid that the kids had pulled off against him, Norman Osborn's smile was just a little too tight that evening as he leaned heavily on Kate and Tony for camera bait.

As for Hill's side, there were also a few more absences than usual. Clint was on a roof just waiting and watching to see where Osborn went with the kids — or where the kids went with the guards — when the party was over. And Sam was prepped in a flight suit to follow if necessary. Kurt was staying out of the public eye — knowing it could get complicated for Kate if he showed up — but he was in the jet waiting for coordinates to get the rest of the team to where they needed to be if Norman or the kids tried to leave the Capitol.

Which left only Natasha and Logan, of the group involved in the rescue attempt, to work the public arena — though Rhodey and Carol were also doing their usual dazzle, and Kamala had come as well, not just to help out but to see Scott.

The youngest member of the team was sticking pretty closely to Logan, a little out of her element, though she was a natural with the cameras. She just didn't lie — it wasn't in her nature — and she was so earnest and energetic about everything that it was impossible for anyone behind the camera _not_ to love her.

Which worked out perfectly, since as soon as Kamala got to talking about how great everyone had been that was involved with Tahiti, it drew attention enough for Logan to slip away and cut through the crowd to the other side of the press corp. He could see Kate — but she'd clearly gotten there before they did. She was already at the door and being ushered inside the building, with a large group of security around her.

Tony however … well. He had more security, but he was right _there._ Logan smirked to himself and pushed his way to Tony exactly as he'd done before — though this time, instead of inserting himself into the security pocket, he took a hold of Stark's arm and pulled him out, sure to grab his hand as if they were shaking to pass one of Fitz's bugs to him. "You look like hell, Stark," Logan said with a smile. "Like you need some actual fresh air."

Tony gave Logan the same relieved grin he'd seen earlier. "You know how it is when you get caught up," he said. "Long hours, project consumes your life…"

"I expect to have a drink with you by week's end," Logan said with a troublemaking smirk.

"You buying?" Tony asked.

"Yep," Logan said, nodding. "Got some 80 year old scotch that needs to be dealt with. Figured you'd be the guy to help."

"I look forward to it, then," Tony said, managing to make it look for the cameras like he was all smiles and relaxed — though half of that was just from honest relief talking with Logan again. "That sounds like exactly my kind of project."

When the two of them broke away, Logan clapped a hand on Tony's shoulder — covering the fact that he slipped another bug into Stark's jacket pocket in case the one he'd given him was found. "No later than Saturday, Tony. I'm not taking no for an answer."

"Hey, take it up with my scheduler," Tony said.

"Where can I find the old goat?" Logan asked.

"Just follow the sound of 'when I was building up Oscorp from the ground'..."

"Hot air and bullshit, got it," Logan said with a nod, getting a little laugh from Tony in spite of himself.

"Good luck; he's in pretty high demand," Tony said. "You can tell because of how thick the security is."

Logan looked down the line to the knot that had to be Norman. "I've dealt with worse," he said.

"Yeah, but these guys you can't stab," Tony said with half a smirk.

Logan just smirked and looked like he was ready for an actual party. "What makes you think I need to stab 'em?"

"Well, go on then," Tony said, motioning with both hands. "What're you waiting for?"

Logan stepped back and put his back to the press, doing a fine job of almost blending in with the crowd as Norman's security detail came up, but as soon as they were close enough, he started to work his way into their center too, sure to bug a few of his guards until he did, in fact, manage to put a hand on Norman. "You never did invite me for a chat, Normy," Logan said. "Jess told me you liked to take _time_ for your fellow victors."

Norman automatically shrugged Logan's hand off his shoulder, though he kept the tight smile. "That's true," he said. "I do try to make the time, but as I'm sure you've noticed, I don't have time to make."

"That's fine; I'll walk with you," Logan told him, warning off the guard that tried to step in and separate them. "Nothing you can say that they haven't heard a few hundred times at this point, and I'm sure you don't want to look like you have a problem with anyone."

Norman's tight smile tightened. "Maybe you can tell me what you've been up to instead, since you've heard my speeches already."

Logan's smile just warmed up a bit — and was a perfect counterpoint to the strain Norman was showing. "You want to know what it's like up in the trees? Somehow, I doubt that."

"You haven't been spending all your time in the trees," Norman pointed out. "Tell me about life in the Capitol — from your end."

"Doubt it's much different for me than it is for you," Logan replied. "Too many people, not enough time.… But I'm not tryin' to get people to like me."

"Then I'm sure you've got much more of a vacation on your hands than anything else."

"Oh, sure," Logan laughed. "You're working _hard_ to get people to like you. Full time job."

Norman's eyes narrowed slightly before he simply shook his head at Logan. "Then if you don't mind, I do have work to get to — but we can schedule a longer visit if you do want to catch up sometime."

Logan offered him his hand, and after a beat, Norman took it — just for Logan to pull him closer. "I'll be seeing you soon, _Goblin_. One way or another. Good luck with your popularity contest. You're gonna need it. Petey and Gwen are _fine,_ by the way. Nice implants. I'll get 'em back to you more or less like we found 'em."

 _How 'bout that. And I thought the 'green' in Green Goblin was just for alliteration,_ Clint said in Logan's ears over the comm.

Logan held Norman's gaze for a moment with a little chuckle before he let go of his hand and stepped back to let his security team sweep Norman along. From there, Logan worked his way back to where he'd started, sure to take the time for anyone that stopped to talk to him — and generally causing a ruckus just by doing so — before he met up with Kamala again.

"You look a little out of breath," he said as they headed toward the building _finally._

"Oh, well, yeah, I got excited; someone asked about what it was like moving to a new district after the war…" She beamed at him. "They really seemed interested, too!"

"Of course they are," Logan said. "No one's been able to travel between them, let alone live somewhere else. You're a little trendsetter."

"Not as much as you," she said. "I saw you got to talk to Norman Osborn." An expression like anger touched her face. "Did you say hi from Miles?" she asked, nearly dangerously.

"That's not all I got to do," Logan said quietly. "Miles and Fitz will be glad to hear how that went."

"Oh good," she said, sounding honestly pleased about it as she took his arm and gave it a little squeeze. "By the end of the night, we should have all our friends safe and sound. I hope."

"If I've gotta piggyback on him myself, it's gonna happen," Logan agreed. "I got to _talk_ to Stark too."

"Is he okay?" Kamala asked, genuinely worried.

"He's looking forward to fresh air," Logan said.

"I bet." She shook her head. "If there wasn't _politics,_ I'd hit that guy. And I'm not really big on violence."

"Well, I ticked him off bad enough that he didn't seem real keen on opening his mouth in front of a camera, so let's go see if Skye got us as good of seats as she thinks. I'm lookin' forward to laughin' at Gobby all night." He paused and turned her way. "Unless you're sitting with Nat."

"No, I can sit with you," she said with a little grin. "Natasha's not… Nat," she added. "I don't like it when she pulls that weird undercover whatever."

"But the camera routine _here_ is alright?" Logan asked with a little frown.

" _You_ have _fun_ with it," she pointed out. "And it's really ridiculous listening to Clint's color commentary."

"Well he's not wrong."

Kamala laughed as they headed off to find their seats for the dinner. "It's still ridiculous."

The two of them found their assigned seats — very near to Norman and absolutely in view. And Norman's irritation was plain to see, particularly with the crowd that the two of them had pulled in — and as always, Trish Walker was right there with the two of them.

Hill was on the other side with a smirk that she wasn't trying to hide, and she and Natasha made a matched set the longer the dinner went on and the more it was clear that Logan and Kamala had a reasonable following of cameras, reporters, and well wishers— far away from Norman and his puppets.

To make matters more interesting, Norman's push on using District Eight as his gold standard of how Marvel should be handled was being easily and quickly shoved under the rug as Kamala went on and on at length about the virtues of Eleven and Logan expressed his appreciation for Four and how welcoming Odin had been the times he'd been there.

"So there really is a rich back and forth with a lot of the victors," Trish said

"Some are much easier to talk to, but … most of them, yeah. They've always tried to look out for one another," Logan said.

"It's just a shame to see you all divided, then," Trish said.

"To be honest, the ones that aren't friendly..." Logan shrugged. "I don't think anyone misses 'em."

Trish raised an eyebrow at that. "So, Mr. Osborn …?"

"I never really got much time with him, to be honest," Logan said with a little smile that accentuated what he'd just told her. "My time was spent tryin' to help my tribute — and I really only had the one year."

"But you wouldn't characterize your relationship as friendly, would you?"

"Not yet, but I'm sure we'll get closer," Logan said. "He said himself it's just a matter of time."

"Do you think you'll seek him out if he wins? Get to know the new president?"

"Oh, we're absolutely gonna spend some time one way or the other."

"You'll go to Oscorp if he loses? Try to mend fences?"

"I don't think I've broken anything yet to mend," Logan said. "But yeah. I'll go to Oscorp."

"That will be quite the meeting. I hope you'll let cameras in," Trish said with a sparkle in her eyes.

"That would be entirely up to him," Logan replied. "He might prefer privacy."

"Well, either way, we'll find out tomorrow, won't we?" Trish said. "It's kind of exciting, isn't it? The first election in recent memory?"

"It's somethin' else," he agreed, though he turned the attention smoothly to Kamala. "What do you think, kiddo?"

"I think it's amazing," Kamala said with a wide grin. "We get to see history! I mean… we got to see history in the war, but this is the better kind of history, I think," she added quickly.

From there, Logan just had to sit back as Kamala enraptured the group with her enthusiasm, and it didn't take long before the guests started to peel off as the night turned later — including Kate and her entourage of Norman's security.

"Oh, there's Kate too!" Kamala said, elbowing Logan as she waved merrily at Kate.

Logan looked up at Kate, who had managed to stop for a moment. As soon as he met her gaze, he gave her his very best, most brilliant smile and a wink — the best signal he could come up with to let her know that help was on the way.

At that, Kate returned the smile and even managed a quick wave before the security detail 'reminded' her that it was time to leave. And then they were gone — though not without Sam checking in over the comms to say he was following.

It wasn't too long after that when Logan and Kamala got up to leave too — though for entirely different reasons. Kamala was going to go help Scott get to the jet, and Logan ... well. He had to make sure that the team going after Kate didn't need back up.

"Looks like they're loading up to go somewhere," Sam said over the comms. "Not staying in the Capitol. Kurt's got the jet, though—"

"Ready to follow," Kurt said quick and low. "Those invisibility panels are working like a dream."

As the rescue team was already falling into place — with Natasha sneaking off to join them — Hill made her way over to Logan and Kamala. "I've never seen Trish Walker that happy," she said. "I had to hide behind my drink to keep from laughing."

"You shoulda just laughed, Maria Christina," Logan replied. "Do wonders for you."

"I'm going to laugh all day — the day after tomorrow — when this is all over," she said.

"Good," he said. "You needed a break, but if that's all …"

"Just wondering if the two of you would walk with me back to where I'm staying," she admitted.

"Is this a public appearance kind of thing or a distraction kind of thing?" Logan asked, his eyes narrowed slightly.

"Yes."

He let out a breath and offered her his arm. "Fine. Just let me know who's being distracted."

"Who do you think?" Hill asked with a smirk. "The man of the hour. I think he wants to kill you himself."

"Maybe because he's not the man of the hour he wanted to be."

"He never could have been if he hadn't cheated," Hill said under her breath. "Once Kate and Tony are clear, believe me, the investigation won't take long at all. Or the trial."

"Well, if you're gonna take up my time, why don't we have a drink?" Logan suggested with a little smirk. "You look like you could use another shot."

"Glad to."


	24. Escape from Hawkeye Island

**Chapter 24: Escape from Hawkeye Island**

* * *

 _September 13_

 _Somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean_

* * *

The little rescue team had been quick getting to the jet, and Kurt got them in the air almost immediately, following close behind the transport that had Kate and Tony in it. It was a long flight, and Sam in the copilot seat knew better than to try and start up a conversation with the look Kurt had on that said he was ready to run through everyone on that plane that wasn't Kate or Tony.

Fitz's bugs had worked exactly as they'd been intended, and he was joyfully telling them exactly how they worked as they followed the trace on the screen. " …. _It worked because they didn't turn on, you see_ — _not until the scanners had gone over them and the magnetic field they produced by scanning triggered the devices to switch on. They'll never find it! Even the ones on Osborn are working perfectly!"_

"FItz," Clint said at last.

" _I just … you need to know how it worked, not just that it did,"_ he replied.

"Tell us about it when we get back," Clint said, shaking his head.

" _Oh, sure, once the buzz from_ knowing _it worked right is all gone. Typical."_

"Kinda got other things on our minds right now. I know it's easy to forget now that your better half is back and all."

" _Just ... try to recover them if you can,"_ Fitz said. " _I'd hate to think someone might run out of ideas for those trick arrows you're so fond of just because you don't have any_ appreciation _for the work that goes into this kind of thing."_

Clint chuckled. "Fitz, I'll write you a thank you note. Just not. Now." He was shaking his head as Natasha smirked his way.

"Anything for more toys," she teased.

"They're fun toys," Clint defended.

Natasha shook her head at him and rolled her eyes.

Besides the light teasing, though, the jet was more or less quiet. It wasn't until the early morning — though, admittedly, they had changed a few time zones — that the transport they were following finally landed. It looked like a private island, and Kurt had to circle a few times to find a spot to land that wouldn't kick up enough sand to give them away, even though they were invisible.

"Shouldn't be too hard to find them; the island isn't too big," Sam muttered Kurt's way, though the Kurt wasn't listening, just ready to _go._

The moment the door to the jet was open, they poured out. The bugs that Logan had placed on Tony showed that he, at least, was at a lighthouse on the rocks at the north end of the island, which was where Kurt and Clint were headed. Sam and Natasha swung around to cover their backs — and take out any guards that had been left on the island with their friends.

They didn't get far at all before they encountered the first signs of trouble. Sam very nearly wound up at the bottom of a deep pit filled with spikes — if he hadn't been wearing his flight suit. The ground had simply given out beneath him, and not a one of them had seen any warning signs.

Sam stared down at the pit for a moment and let out a long, low whistle. "Well. Alright then," he said, readjusting his shoulders for a moment before he set off at a slightly slower pace, keeping a more careful eye out.

And on the other side of the island, Kurt and Clint had run into their own problems, though they were decidedly more expected. A large cadre of security.

Clint turned toward Kurt with a small grin and swept his arm out. "All yours," he said, and Kurt simply nodded once and burst forward, both swords singing and twirling.

Clint smirked to himself as he followed behind Kurt, quickly putting an arrow through anybody that was stupid enough to try to surprise the very angry swordsman when he was working out several weeks of frustration.

The two of them worked their way toward the lighthouse easily enough once the 'security' had been either dealt with or turned tail — unused to the calibre of fight that one very pissed off Elf and a Hawkeye were capable of. And from there, Clint was the one to step up to get them inside.

Almost immediately, Clint let out a hiss of displeasure when the locking mechanism came with a literal shock — but somehow, that just made him grin wider with a muttered, "oh so that's how we're playing" as he dove back in, tearing into the system as he picked apart wires.

Finally, the door burst open, and Clint looked over at Kurt with a crooked grin.

The two of them burst forward, running up the stairs in perfect tandem before, finally, they hit the top, where there was, frustratingly, one more door to get through.

While Clint set to it, Kurt rapped against the door. "Kate?" he called, and even through the thick wood door, he could hear Kate's delighted 'Kurt!'

Clint wasn't even trying to hide the smirk as he quickly cut through the necessary wires, and when the door slid open, he simply stepped back, clear of Kurt's path, so that Kurt could rush over and wrap Kate up in a warm embrace that turned into a long kiss.

Clint just laughed and leaned against the doorway, waving at Tony with the tips of his fingers. "I'm not doing that for you. By the way."

"Oh, come on; just a little sugar, Ronin?" Tony teased. "You'll give it up for Wade but not me? What? Not pretty enough for you? Or is it that I'm not clingy enough?" When he got out of the room, he didn't bother waiting for the smart alec response before he wrapped him up in a one-armed hug and kissed his cheek.

"Yeah, yeah, save it for Pepper," Clint grumbled good-naturedly.

"Didn't want you thinking you weren't appreciated," Tony said with a little laugh before he clapped his hands together. "Alright people. I think it's high time we got the hell outta dodge!"

That finally got Kate and Kurt to break apart as Kate said, "Yes please," and then kissed Kurt again, not exactly ready to let him go quite yet — and Kurt wasn't complaining either.

"This is what happens when they haven't seen each other for five minutes. This could take a while," Clint joked Tony's way.

Still, finally, Kate and Kurt were ready to go, though Kurt was down to just the one sword; he gave Kate the other so that she had something to defend herself with.

They'd only taken a few steps onto the craggy rocks before there was a terrific explosion, and all four of them dropped, with Kurt covering Kate protectively. They waited, and when there was no following explosion, Clint hissed out into the comms, "Nat! What happened?"

Clint was halfway holding his breath until Natasha's response, a little strained: "Land mine."

"Land — _Nat_?"

"Just singed," she promised. "Apparently, Osborn didn't want anyone leaving this place without his permission."

"This place is booby-trapped," Clint muttered, shaking his head. "Of course it is."

"We'll just have to watch our step," Tony said.

"No kidding," Kate muttered under her breath.

The four of them rushed to catch up with Natasha and Sam, running through the surrounding jungle, but about halfway through, there was a strange sort of chattering noise that Kurt and Tony didn't recognize — but that stopped both Hawkeyes in their tracks.

"Go. Faster," Kate said through her teeth, eyes wide.

"Kate, what—"

"Later, Kurt," she said. She didn't know if Norman had gone so far as to actually _get_ some of the monkeys from her Games or if he had gotten some similar or _what_. Maybe it was just audio. She didn't know, and she didn't want to find out. "Let's go," she insisted, all but pushing Kurt ahead of her to get him to move faster.

But only moments later, there was another explosion — this one far more substantial than the last... and coming from the direction of their hidden jet.

"Nat!" Clint shouted, his tone nearly panicked.

"Not a landmine," she said. "Rocket launcher. Sam's getting me where I need to be."

"The jet?"

"Yeah, that's not happening anymore," Sam said.

All four of the kids on that part of the island looked panicked at that, though it was the two Hawkeyes that looked positively terrified, especially as the chattering seemed to get louder after the explosion.

"Can we go back?" Kate asked quietly.

Kurt took in the totally terrified look on her face and the ill-hidden look of panic on Clint's. "Alright," he said, holding Kate a little closer.

Clint led the path back to the lighthouse, high-tailing it away from the all-too familiar sound of the monkeys in the trees. They were stranded without the jet, but no way were either of the Hawkeyes going to spend their time waiting for backup to arrive in that jungle.

* * *

 _In the Capitol_

* * *

While the rescue effort was in full swing, back in the Capitol, Logan was still being 'detained', as he liked to consider it, by Hill — though his patience had worn incredibly thin for as late as it was.

He was sure that it was completely unnecessary when the comm in his ear shut off simply because the rest of his team was too far out for him to hear what was going on, but still, she refused to let him slip away from her little group of followers and advisors. And Logan didn't miss that Coulson was in the middle of with a sedate, relaxed smile, obviously enjoying watching Logan keep up the facade for the Capitolites.

It was, Logan was sure, very entertaining for the two former SHIELD leaders. Right up until Coulson put a hand up to his ear as he got some kind of new report and fell into a serious frown.

But the timing couldn't have been better as Hill was trying to steer Logan toward another up and coming politician. At least as far as Logan was concerned.

Coulson stepped between them. "Sorry, Maria, but this is more pressing," he said, and Hill honestly looked a little disappointed before Coulson pulled Logan aside. "Take the jet. The rescue party's plane just fell off the radar, and the instruments are registering a total destruction."

"I can take off in fifteen minutes," Logan agreed, already planning to rush off to at least grab a change of clothes.

"Make it five."

Logan just looked at him for a moment with a frown. "It takes ten to get to the Triskellion."

"Then I guess you'll just have to go in your suit."

Logan looked ready to argue the point — until Hill's politician started to head their way. "Fine. Whatever. Where's the jet?"

"Should be right where Skye left it by the hospital," Coulson said. "Seeing as that was her first stop."

"You're not very nice, you know that?"

"It's news to me," Coulson said with a little smirk.

"Fury would've let me change," Logan pointed out, though he headed out all the same at as quick of a pace that he could without making it _look_ like he was headed somewhere important.

Just like Coulson had said, the jet was near enough to the hospital, and he sent Kamala in on his way — she'd wanted to help Scott, and she could explain at least partly why Scott's ride was leaving early. He loosened his tie as he got moving forward, the vertical lift-off helping at least a little bit, time-wise. Fitz had already sent him the coordinates, and it wasn't until he was well on his way that he realized that by _not_ bringing someone along, he had no way to even look for something else to wear. He grumbled a little more to himself and just pushed the envelope as hard as he could, cutting the length of the flight considerably, since he didn't have to follow behind like Natasha and Clint had been forced to do.

When he got within distance to start a decent approach, he hit the radio looking for one of them to return the call. "Anyone home?" Logan said through the comms. "Heard you needed a ride."

"Don't land," Natasha called back. "The place is covered in land mines."

"That would explain the readouts they got back at HQ," Logan said with a nod. "I'll hover over the rocks. Can't hit mines that way too easy."

"That's perfect. We're holed up in the lighthouse anyway. The wildlife here isn't too friendly either."

"What wildlife?" Logan asked. "Is it the seagulls or the bilge rats getting to you?"

"Not to _me_. It's some kind of monkeys," Natasha corrected him. "You can hear them once you get in the jungle."

"Well you're dating him; you should be used to that kinda thing by now," Logan deadpanned.

"Very funny," she said. "Either way, it would be better not to go through the jungle."

"Sure, sure. I'll keep it just off the ground. Come on out. Pretty sure the jet'll hold off the 'wildlife'."

Natasha chuckled before she cut off the comms, and it wasn't long before Logan found the group of them. Natasha and Sam looked a little singed from their close encounter with a landmine, but otherwise, they looked relieved to be getting off the island, and the six of them climbed onto the jet.

"So where's the 80-year-old Scotch?" Tony asked with a grin as he got on.

"At the house," Logan replied. "Gotta swing by the Capitol and get the rest of the yea-hoos before we take off."

"Which yea-hoos?" Kate asked.

"Scott, Skye, Kamala … if we're not careful, Trish …" Logan let it fade off as he watched to make sure they were all inside and the hatch closed securely.

"Sounds like a fun group," Kate said with a grin.

"Lil' bit better now, Trickshot."

She beamed at him as she made it a point to poke into the cockpit and kiss his cheek. "I missed you too."

"You missed anyone that wasn't Norman," Logan corrected.

"Yes. I missed anyone who wasn't Norman or Wilson Fisk," Kate said with a nod. "And — what's his name? Wesley with a first name I never ever caught?" She turned Tony's way, and Tony just shrugged.

"Haven't had to deal with him," Logan said.

"You'll know him when you meet him. _Huge_ guy. Ate small boats when he was a boy," Tony said.

"Fisk? Yeah. _Him_ I've seen."

"Hard to miss," Tony said with his arms crossed as he dropped into a seat. "And he's working with Osborn too."

"Oh. Well. Him. We got a date lined up."

"You _think_ so," Tony said, suddenly straightening as it dawned on him how long they'd been on the island. "Uh... what time is it back on the mainland?"

"Hell if I know, I was stuck with Hill still schmoozing when I got sent out." Logan shrugged his shoulders up as they moved out over the water. "Mid-day anyhow. Probably."

"Later than that," Natasha said. "Why?"

"Yeah… see. That means people are voting. And once that starts up, the little program I wrote for Norman is pretty much unstoppable," Tony said with a deeply-settled frown.

Logan gave him a dry look and waved him toward the cockpit. "You need to get on the horn and tell Coulson."

Tony nodded and looked a little frazzled as he sat down next to Logan to get on the radio, though he paused and tipped his head Logan's way. "Taking the chauffeur thing a little too far."

"You're almost as not funny as Parker," Logan replied, eyes forward. "Be a shame if I fell asleep at the stick."

"We'd have to dock your pay."

"You're gonna make me downgrade you to the 20 year old Scotch."

"That's just rude," Tony said with a smirk before he got on the radio to Coulson. "Hey, now, before you all start falling over yourself hearing my dulcet tones again, we've got a problem," he said. "While Kate and I were playing castaways, Osborn had me work up a program to rig the vote. Your new president is about to be sworn in, and the die's already cast on who it is.

"We'll put out a statement before the polls close," Coulson said. "Make sure that the public knows that there's been tampering at the polls."

"Is it going to be soon enough?"

"To stop it outright? No. But to contend the legitimacy of the election itself? Oh yeah. Get the word out, get some forensic computer specialists on it ... someone that will be able to find it with the program writer's help …"

"All while Norman sets himself up for the throne," Tony grumbled. "Yeah, got it."

"We have a department for that," Coulson said with a smirk that could be heard even over the radio.

"Yeah, just put Kate on one side of the room and Kurt on the other — with Normy in the middle," Clint muttered.

"That would be both cruel and unusual for the kind of behavior he's used to," Logan muttered.

"He'd deserve it," Clint said low. "This creep… I mean…. He was ready to bury the spiders and imprisoned my future niece or nephew _and_ my Katie? If you ask me, Kurt'll be too kind."

"Oh, for sure," Logan agreed. "But … he's gotta go down publicly first. And hard."

A slow and crooked grin started at the corner of Clint's mouth. "Hey... drop me off when we get there, huh? I can find a ride back."

"Unless May is flying, I'm goin' to bed when we get back," Logan said with a little yawn.

"I meant drop me off in the Capitol when we pick up your girl," Clint clarified.

"And I meant I'm crashing when the wheels touch down, wherever the hell we are."

Clint smirked. "Nat can fly. You still got a contact number for Trish?"

"Are you kidding me?" Logan said, turning Clint's way. "I'm starting to wonder if she's got a tracker on me for as often as she appears in the right place. Don't need her number."

"Great. You take a nap. I'll make sure she gets an exclusive on the whole story," Clint said, leaning back. "Land mines, kidnappings, tunnels, the whole nine."

Logan nodded at that as the two of them fell into silence on the way back to the mainland of Marvel.

In the meantime, in the back of the plane, Kate and Kurt were entirely curled around each other and looked like they simply weren't going to let go anytime soon. The others were giving them plenty of space as well, so that they could at least have a semblance of privacy as they caught up with each other for the first time in weeks.

At first, very little was said between the newlyweds, as they were content instead simply to hold onto each other as tightly as they could. They were sharing as much space as possible in the seats of the plane, with Kate clutched to Kurt's chest as he couldn't help but gently kiss the top of her head every once in a while as a gentle reminder that he was there and that she was safe. And Kate had one hand resting on the back of Kurt's neck, twisting the bottom of his curls between her middle and index finger but generally not saying anything except to _be_ there.

They had been in the air about half an hour before either of them said anything, and it was Kate who broke the silence with a softly murmured, "Sorry."

Kurt startled slightly in honest surprise before he glanced down at Kate to catch her gaze. "What on earth for, _liebchen_?" he asked gently.

"I knew — going into One — I _knew_ I shouldn't have been out on a mission, but I convinced myself it was such a low-risk surveillance mission that I could get away with it," she said, still in a soft tone so that their conversation was as private as it was possible to be — and to help that along, Natasha had made a conscious effort to get Sam and Tony into a conversation so that Kate and Kurt could speak relatively alone.

Kurt responded by once more gently kissing the top of Kate's head and shifting slightly so that he could hold her even closer, gathering her up to his chest. "Let's talk about that later, _liebling_ ," he suggested in a low tone. "Right now, I'm just happy to have you back."

Kate buried her face into his chest, and Kurt somehow wasn't surprised in the least when he felt the beginnings of a wet spot growing there as she quietly cried into his chest. She had every right to be overwhelmed and emotional, after all.

When she started to speak again, he almost missed it because she was muffled in his shirt. "You should have found out before anyone else," she said.

"Now, _that_ is not your fault," Kurt said almost sternly. "That is down to Norman Osborn." He dropped his voice even lower. "And I promise you, he _is_ going to pay for that."

"Tony figured it out before we got snatched," Kate admitted, and Kurt tipped his head down to catch her gaze.

"Oh?"

"When I wouldn't have any champagne."

"Ah, well. That _would_ do it," Kurt said, nodding thoughtfully.

"I'm sorry you had to find out on TV," she muttered miserably.

"Ah." Kurt paused and gathered himself by taking a moment to press a few more kisses into her hair. "Well, that's not entirely true."

She glanced up at him with a little more interest in her tone. "Did Hank spill?" she asked.

Kurt let out all his breath in a great whoosh. "No, I… found the present you had hidden in the coffee filters."

Kate looked up at Kurt with shining eyes for a long moment before she pulled him into a long and involved kiss that was half apology and lasted far longer than either of them had intended.

* * *

 _In the Capitol_

* * *

It was afternoon on Election Day by the time SHIELD got their statement out to the press that there had been tampering with the election, but Osborn had apparently prepared for this kind of eventuality. By thirty minutes after SHIELD's report had hit the airwaves, he'd put out a statement saying that it was "pathetic" of Hill to turn to her SHIELD allies to make up such an outrageous story about him on the eve of the election.

It wasn't exactly helping matters. People were suddenly unsure whether or not it was even worth it to vote. What's more, there were a few angry attacks on SHIELD agents who had come to keep the peace as tensions ratcheted up around voting areas — with those that believed Osborn's claims upset at SHIELD for trying to 'fix' the election … and those that supported Hill mad at SHIELD for letting Osborn get away with trying to 'fix' the election.

That was the state of things by the time the little rescue party landed in the Capitol that evening. The day was drawing to a close, and it seemed that the accusations being thrown around were really only making people more agitated, with a few protests breaking out in the districts. It was clear the people felt like they were getting their chance at actually _electing_ a leader instead of being assigned a dictator were being thrown out the window.

The last of the group that would be headed back to Seven — Skye, Scott, Clara, and Kamala — met them near the hospital where Logan had set the plane down. They had been in the waiting room just watching for their friends' approach, and they were more than ready to leave by that point.

But as all four of them boarded, Clint passed them on his way out, since he'd decided to stay in the Capitol for a little longer. Tony wasn't far behind him, either, headed for the Triskellion to tell Coulson just what his program was designed to do so at least SHIELD would have some intel — though he didn't make it past the group without getting a solid hug from Kamala first.

"What, did you miss me?" he teased as he gave Kamala a little squeeze back.

"Obviously!" she said with a huge grin before she let him go again and took a step back to slug him in the arm. "Don't go missing like that again. That was just horrible, and Pepper's been upset — and _no one_ likes seeing Pepper upset."

"Believe me, I know," Tony assured her.

"We can wait for you," Skye offered. "Unless you're looking forward to a quiet flight just you and Clint. Which… good luck with that."

"Yeah, let us know," Kamala said with a quiet smile before she leaned forward with a spark of trouble in her eyes. "Scott was teaching me how to fly back in Seven, so if you just want to sleep on the way back…"

"Nah, I think if you make Kate and Kurt wait any longer to get back home, they'll explode," Tony pointed out with a little smirk. "Besides, if Osborn really gets rolling as president, I'll have a few more people on the flight out anyway. Nobody's gonna want to stick around for that."

"You act as if they're not already attached in several places," Skye pointed out with a little laugh. "But I get it. Good luck going public."

"Hey, that part's the easy part," Tony assured her with a crooked grin. "The hard part is going to be the sticking around afterward to help them unwind that program. It's a nasty one, honestly. And I should know — I wrote it."

"Do you need help with that?" Skye offered with a smirk.

"If I do, I know who to call," he said with a grin to match her. "I'll set up a link so you can join in when you're not, you know, _attached_ ," he added, waving his hand between Skye and Logan.

"Oh, he's … not very snuggly right now. Sad to say."

"Dead on his feet," Clint chuckled.

"And don't want to be touched," Logan added.

Clint tipped his head Logan's way with one eyebrow raised in a silent question before he decided against asking anything and nodded. "Well, lucky for you, the usual hugging suspects have either got it out of their system or are wrapped up," he said, looking toward the quiet couple still wrapped up together. "Get some sleep. Me and Tony'll catch you later," he added, waving over his shoulder as he steered Tony by the crook of his arm so they could get to the Triskellion and get the debrief over with so they could get down to work.

And when they got there, Coulson was waiting and Trish was circling. "Are you sure you want to do this?" Coulson asked. "As much as I'd like you to clear the air ... "

"What's he gonna do? Kidnap me again?" Tony asked with a dark sort of look.

"Well that is a distinct possibility. Though I doubt it'd have the same effect this time around."

Tony smirked at that and shook his head. "Yeah, I'm sure," he told Coulson firmly. "I'm not going to duck my responsibility in this whole sham of an election process, and people need to know."

"Alright then," Coulson said before he turned and gave Trish a little wave. "She was hoping for Logan's reaction since, well, that's the way it's been lately. But I'm sure she'll enjoy talking to you just as much."

"Logan's wiped," Clint told him honestly. "So no, she wouldn't enjoy talking to him right about now."

"I'm sure he's ready to call it a night," Coulson agreed.

"Yeah, so we'll take the hit on this one. I promise I'll even tie my tie," Clint joked as he watched Trish give the interview setup one last once-over. "Can't promise I'll tie it correctly, but…"

"Untied is perfectly acceptable, considering what I understand your upcoming statement to be over," Trish said with a little smile and a flash in her eyes. "Though that would have been more useful information before the election got underway." She brushed her hair out of her face and straightened Clint's collar as Tony looked on with an unmistakable grin of pure amusement.

"Yeah, well, tell it to Norman Osborn," Clint said. "We would've said something before, but hey… the guy was holding a pregnant girl hostage, not to mention a whole bunch of our other friends. You tell me — does that sound like something that would make you real talkative?"

Trish's eyes flashed for a moment, but the expression quickly slipped into something a little more professional as she got the cameras set and then settled down to sit across from both of them. "Save lines like that for the interview," she told him in an undertone before the green light flipped on and she launched into her introduction, apologizing for interrupting the election coverage with her special, live interview — but promising that the breaking story would be worth the listen.

"Joining me today are two former members of the group that came to be known as the Tahiti Program during the war," she said. "Until now, our viewers knew that Tony Stark and Clint Barton have been on different sides of the election — but today, both of them are here to condemn Norman Osborn and to bring serious accusations against him." She paused to take a breath — and for effect — before she turned to the boys. "I'll let them tell their own story."

"Yeah, we could start with: Norman Osborn is a criminal sociopath," Clint said bluntly, and Trish seemed to take a breath at the immediate turn he had taken.

"Those are pretty strong accusations," Trish said. "Especially with nothing to back it up."

"Yeah? What else do you call someone who kidnaps people — kidnaps _kids_ — and press-gangs them into working for him, stumping for him? The fact that this has gone on for so long is one of the most _insane_ things I've ever seen."

"That's quite the testimony, all things considered."

Clint held up both hands. "Hey, this isn't me having a tantrum because Osborn's winning. I'm a grown man. I can handle losing."

"Though, technically, if he's winning — that means he's not," Tony added. "Not with the virus that he had manufactured to skew the results. He's known from the beginning he had no chance to win squarely."

"That's a little surprising coming from you, Mr. Stark, considering you were such a staunch supporter of his through the whole campaign."

"Yes, I was. While I was under Osborn's personal escort _team_ supervision 24/7." Tony clapped a hand on Clint's shoulder with a grin. "But thanks to this big, beautiful blonde and the rest of the team? I've been freed."

"Freed? That's an interesting choice of words," Trish said, leaning forward.

"Accurate description of events," Tony said, echoing her movement.

"And he wasn't the only one, either," Clint broke in with an angry look that didn't match his relaxed posture. "Jessica Drew dropped off of everyone's radar back in June. _June_." He shook his head. "You tell me, Trish. Someone snatches up a young woman for three months to use her as a pawn — you call it like it is, right? Criminal sociopath."

"So are you saying that Miss Drew is no longer a supporter of Mr. Osborn as well? Can you speak for her?"

Clint shook his head. "I can't, and I wouldn't. I don't put words in other people's mouths. But I can tell you Peter Parker and a few others knew what happened."

"If you can hold that thought, Mr. Barton," Trish said with a vengeful sort of gleam in her eyes. "We have a live statement from Mr. Parker from what we're told is an anonymous location. Peter, can you hear me?"

Just like that, Trish started to smile wider as Peter broke in — since, clearly, the spiders weren't about to let Tony and Clint have all the fun once they'd heard what was going on. "Yes, you're crystal clear," Peter said. "And I'm here with the other spiders — Gwen Stacey and Miles Morales. All of us, along with a SHIELD scientist friend of ours, were kept prisoner by Norman in a secret lab attached to Oscorp. In case you were wondering, that's the real source of that so-called earthquake in Eight the other day. When he had his men blow the charges connecting the main building to his secret evil lab."

Trish looked surprised — honestly, not just for show — as she leaned unconsciously toward the side where she was getting the audio in her ear. "Is everyone alright?"

"We are now," Gwen said.

"Yes, I can tell that. I just meant ... did anyone get hurt in the escape? That was a sizeable earthquake — or explosion, as you say."

"The explosion happened after we got out. Our rescue team had the foresight to make sure that they weren't seen getting us out, or I'm sure we'd be buried and dead right now," Peter said, sounding exactly as ticked off as he was. "Thanks for that Norman. Love how you treat your favorites."

"Why were you being kept prisoner, Mr. Parker? It wasn't like with Mr. Stark here, who was involved in the election."

"He had kidnapped as many scientists and brilliant minds as he could. Didn't you notice Johnny Storm wasn't very …. _Johnny Storm?_ "

"So not only Jessica Drew but Johnny Storm — are you saying Mr. Osborn influenced them or otherwise coerced them into supporting him?"

"No, I'm saying he drugged them and brainwashed 'em," Peter said, getting more irate.

"Those are serious claims, Mr. Parker," Trish said.

"Yes, well, we've got the video to prove it," Gwen said a bit more reasonably. "Probably not the smartest idea to lock all those bright minds together with all that tech."

"Is that why Ms. Drew and Mr. Storm aren't joining you today?" Trish asked.

"Yes," she replied.

"It's not like you can just flip a switch and get rid of drugging and brainwashing," Miles piped up. "And it's only been — what, two days? Three? — since we got out."

"And _thankfully,_ we have someone working with them that has experience fixing that kind of thing," Peter said.

"But you said yourself, Mr. Morales, it's been a few days since you escaped. Why not come forward?" Trish asked. She already knew the answer from talking with Tony and Clint, but the malicious glint in her eyes said she wanted them to spell it out.

"Well … because the Green Goblin had us locked up and was more than happy to drop forty feet of rocks on us for trying to leave," Miles said. "Not to mention the fact that he had our friends — one of whom only _just now_ got to tell her husband she was expecting in person?"

"You mean the Wagners have been separated this entire time?" Trish asked with a glare that didn't look like it could be held back.

"That's what I'm saying," Miles said. "Kurt went looking for her when she disappeared, and she didn't get to tell him.… He had to find out on national television. Come on."

"Their reunion's just a few hours old," Tony broke in. "I literally walked to this interview from the plane where our friends picked us up to rescue us."

"Which sort of explains why no one's been able to speak out until now," Clint added. "Nobody wants to call out the guy who's got a pregnant girl held hostage." He leaned forward with his hands clasped in front of him. "You tell me, Trish. This guy was willing to bury Pete and his friends alive. What do you think he'd have done to our friends if we hadn't gotten them out?"

"The sweetest spiders in the world," Miles said in Trish's ear, though it didn't make it to air.

Trish took a breath and met his gaze. "I think we're all very lucky that they made it out alive. So many war heroes in that group."

Clint nodded seriously. "Why do you think he wanted 'em? You think he doesn't know what these kids are capable of? Heck, have you ever seen Pete do a backflip over a Hydra soldier? Or pin Logan in a wrestling match? You ever seen Katie shoot four arrows at once with just a look?" He gave Trish an open look. "Norman Osborn is a criminal, but he's not an idiot."

"So what now?" Trish asked. "We've established a laundry list of crimes that may or may not be held against the man who, if I'm to believe Mr. Stark, is likely to be our new president-elect. Where do we go from here? And will this long list of _known_ war heroes testify against him if it goes that far?"

"Oh, we absolutely will," Peter said with a strange kind of relish to his tone.

Clint nodded. "This _needs_ to be looked into by people of authority. This needs to be stopped. We came here tonight to tell people the truth, to tell people what's going on."

"And what's been going on for _months_ ," Gwen added.

"Exactly." Clint nodded again, slower this time. He paused and seemed to take a deep breath and look right at the camera for the next part. "But no matter what's next, I can tell you this: Norman, we're not scared of you. At all. I don't care what title you've got; me and my friends are going to be out there every day fighting for what's _right_." He crossed his arms. "You don't have to be a war hero to know what's right and wrong. You don't gotta sit there and take this. You fight." He grinned. "And me and mine will fight right there beside you."


	25. Homecoming

**Chapter 25: Homecoming**

* * *

 _September 14_

 _In the Capitol_

* * *

Although the results were in, and Norman Osborn had been 'officially' declared the winner, there was no denying the fact that he was already putting out fires. Instead of a huge celebratory party, he spent his acceptance speech promising that he would not stand in the way of an investigation into the claims that Clint, Tony, and the spiders had made on national television.

The morning of September 14th, then was supposed to be his official first day. It was symbolic — one year after Ronan, the last Royal, had been killed, one year after Quill had official abdicated any claim he had to the throne. And instead of throwing a big party or gloating — as he no doubt wanted to do — he spent the entire morning dealing with the fallout from the nationally-televised, live interview.

There was no doubt he was mad about it, too. He hadn't been able to stop the broadcast — Skye had made sure of that — and he hadn't been able to trace the broadcast from the spiders to find out where the kids were hiding. He was playing defense, and it showed in the deep frown that creased his face and forehead.

But it was hard to swallow even for the networks that were more Osborn-friendly when he announced that he would be dissolving SHIELD, starting up a new police force from the _people_ , or whatever other excuse he was giving.

"Of course, we can't have an impartial investigation when SHIELD had such ties to the old regime," Osborn said when pressed on it. "And Former Assistant Director Maria Hill has such influence over the old SHIELD; can we really expect them to investigate fairly?"

"I'm not saying that I don't welcome an investigation," Osborn added with a false smile and both hands raised. "I just want to make sure that the people of Marvel get a fair shot — and that the first election in decades of history isn't marred by _bias_."

"And if Mr. Barton or any of his associates are willing to try for a little collaboration, I welcome it," Osborn added, though there was no mistaking a little glint in his gaze. "If they want to work with me to find out who truly imprisoned their friends and tried to pin it on me, I'll give them the keys so they can lock up the perpetrator themselves."

* * *

 _District Seven_

* * *

Of course, while Norman was making his announcement, the kids on their way home were listening in, not bothering to hide their annoyance — Kamala was outright making faces at the radio they were listening to — at what Osborn was saying.

Though when Coulson got on almost immediately after Osborn was done with a message that SHIELD was here to stay, that certainly had the group of them in a better mood.

" _SHIELD was never founded to be a political entity. Our whole purpose, especially in forming the revolution under Thanos, was to be a force for protection for the people, not whoever is in charge for the moment. The whole idea is to give people stability and security, even against their leaders_ — _to be the shield they need us to be._

 _Of course we're not going anywhere. If Mr. O- sorry,_ President _Osborn decides he no longer wants to fund us, that's fine. We never answered to him in the first place, just like we didn't answer to the royals. Don't forget who led the coup against the royal family. That was an operation years in the making and entirely orchestrated by SHIELD. But we're not going to stop protecting those that need protecting._

"Good old Director Dad," Kate teased, still snuggled into Kurt with her head on his shoulder.

The flight back to Seven wasn't all snuggles and happy feelings, though. Skye, of course, had been _working_ the whole time — fueled by the fact that Logan had been positively hands-off and incredibly distant. On boarding the plane, she found him in the furthest back corner, half passed out already, but when she tried to snuggle up, he cringed away and asked her … very quietly ... to just _not._

Which was, of course, more than enough to get her in the mood to destroy someone … and since Trish had her broadcast going … who better to help than a pack of recently freed spiders that had been imprisoned for _months?_

It didn't get any better when they landed, either. While the rest of the group was celebrating being back in Seven, Logan took the nearest secret passage to bypass everyone and go up to their room. Though his slipping away from the crowd wasn't missed by several of those that had stayed behind and were waiting to celebrate with the group.

Both Bobbi and Quill had seen his slick move to slip past the crowd, but by the time they got past the group, he'd, of course, flat out disappeared and left all of them to their celebration. Not that it helped Skye's mood one bit when she turned to find that he'd done a disappearing act.

She'd just decided to get back to the group of _happy_ people when the two ex-victors slipped up next to her, though it was Quill that bumped her shoulder with his.

"Hey, no long faces now," he teased. "Your dad's on national TV giving Osborn the middle finger in the most Coulson-esque way possible. Get some popcorn. _Enjoy_ it with us."

Skye pulled a face at him with her shoulders drawn up. "Yeah."

Bobbi and Quill shared a look over Skye's head before it was Bobbi who put a hand on Skye's shoulder and leaned a little closer. "Listen, I know it's got to be hard to be in your position when your sweetheart is acting that cringey. But he just needs a little space. All that time in the Capitol, being camera bait, doing the talk-with-politicians song and dance… it's no good for any of us — but then to still be in that same suit?" She shook her head. "He's got every reason to not want to be touched."

"And we know he's exhausted," Quill added. "Being friendly for that long has to be a _workout_ for him."

Bobbi nodded. "How many times do you think he woke up exhausted in last night's suit when it was Thanos running things, Skye?" she asked in a quiet undertone.

She had to tip her head to the side as she got it all at once. "I did _not_ think of it like that."

Quill nodded and draped an arm around her. "Give him space, time, a change of clothes, a _shower,_ and don't touch him," he said. "He'll be _fine_." He grinned and gave her a little squeeze. "In the meantime, popcorn."

"Right. Popcorn," she said, nodding her head. "Because the show … is something else."

"He's kind of awesome when he wants to be," Quill chuckled.

"I hate to be the one to break it to you? But pretty much everyone here is awesome when they want to be," Skye pointed out. "Clint was _beautiful._ And did you _see_ Peter? I have it on good authority that the whole segment is going to be re-aired with dates documenting when it happened — and _maybe_ even showing Osborn's security moving people well before they were 'supporting' him. We just didn't have the facial recognition on them until they were stretched enough to have to cover Kate, Tony, _and_ Osborn."

Quill chuckled. "Dug his own grave, that guy," he said. "Kinda fun to watch the implosion, though, right?"

She let out a breath and shook her head. "Fine. I'll go … see what I can do to help Kate," Skye said. "She's been stuck with _no_ sympathy for too long."

"Betcha she could go for some of those raspberries you're always hoarding," Quill teased.

"And for _her_ , I'd share," she said, one finger stinking in his face. Then, she relaxed slightly and smiled. "Thanks for the heads up guys, really. I can't believe I missed that one."

"It's easy to miss," Bobbi said with a kind smile. "It's not like any of us _said_ anything."

"Yes, but I'm the one that found all the hidden and encrypted files on all that."

"Files don't measure up to life experience, director — don't you know that?" Quill teased.

Skye rolled her eyes at him but couldn't hide the crooked smile. "You're ridiculous."

"Hey, it suits you," he said, bumping her shoulder with a wide, beaming smile. "Let me know when they make it official; I might even re-enlist."

"Might be sooner than you think, the way things are going," Skye said over her shoulder as she made her way over to where Kurt and Kate were half-entangled, though still trying to be social. On her way through, she gave Clara a little wave and a grin before the pretty little blonde took Scott's hand to leave the crowd behind — at his whispered insistence.

"What is so important that you have to get away from everyone?" Clara asked Scott once the two of them were properly apart from the others. "I thought you were the social one."

Scott had to just grin at her and shrug lightly. "Do I have to have a reason to want to get a little alone time with you? I mean, I can come up with one…"

"Not … really, no," Clara replied with a little frown. "I just thought you might want to be by them after being gone for so long."

"And I'm sure I'll have plenty of chances to be around everyone," he said. "But they're all watching the show, having reunions of their own. Let them have their moments and let things settle out."

"And you want to get settled in again, right?"

"Exactly."

She frowned, knowing he couldn't see it as she did a bit of a double take. "You are in a surprisingly good mood, Mr. Summers."

"Hey," he said with a shrug. "Everyone's safe and sound, we're back home — what's not to be happy about?"

"That's my sweetheart and his simple pleasures," she said as they slowly made their way to their room.

He chuckled. "Yeah, I don't ask for much. Just a little peace and quiet every now and then — usually with you if you've got the time."

"I've always got the time for you," she teased.

"Well, good, because I'd like to beg a little more of it," he said as they rounded the corner and he stopped outside their room. "A whole lot more of it," he added as he reached into his jacket to pull out the box Logan had given him and gingerly got down to one knee. "Think you could stand to spare a lifetime for me? Would you marry me?"

"You … you don't have to get on one knee, you goofball," she said, obviously flustered. "You should know by now ... yes. Now get up and stop that."

He chuckled as he did just that. "I wasn't going to ask you _halfway_ , Clara," he had to point out before he pulled her into a kiss. "You should know that."

"You're … you're just so old fashioned."

"Just the way I was raised," he said, still grinning at her. "Can I put the ring on for you?" he asked, the grin widening.

"Yes, you can," she said, and he had to grin a little wider when he could _hear_ her smiling as he gently slid the ring onto her left hand.

"So?" he had to ask.

"So … I _said_ yes; do you need it in neon?"

He chuckled. "I meant the ring. What do you think?"

She glanced down and let out a little 'oh'. "I … didn't even look … it's … it's gorgeous. Where did you find something like this?"

"Long story," he said with a sheepish grin. "Actually, the original was wood, but Logan — ah — suggested to me that it would splinter."

She had a smug sort of smile on her face as she watched him. "Mmmhmm. And are you still deluding yourself into thinking he hates you?"

His grin turned even more sheepish as he shrugged. "Well, he must not hate me if he's helping me get married to the prettiest girl in Marvel," he pointed out.

She let out a sigh and shook her head before she pulled him into a hug. "You're going to have to quit that. It's just not true."

"Which part?" he laughed.

"I'm _not_ the prettiest anything."

"Well, that's just a lie," he told her. "I don't know who told you that, but they're entirely wrong."

"I'll just let you live in that delusion a little while longer — but my mirror and the very nasty scars say otherwise."

"Well then you're going to have to stop calling me 'handsome' aren't you?" he said. "Seeing as Skye said we match."

"It's more rugged on you," she teased before she gave him a kiss.

"You are just so wrong," he said, grinning wide.

"I'm really, really not," she countered. "You're going to need to learn to accept that right now."

Scott shook his head. "Don't think I will," he said and then swept her into a much longer kiss rather than let her argue with him about it any longer.

* * *

Once much of the excitement of the reunions as well as Coulson and Osborn's public and televised feud had passed, Kate and Kurt got a visitor who was more than just a well-wisher. Hank gently asked if he could assess Kate — just to make sure that she and the little one really were alright after their ordeal.

Of course, Kate was quick to agree, and the good doctor took the two still very wrapped-up kids down to the lab he had set up in the mansion — which was quickly expanding into more of the setup that they'd had during the war with all that Fitzsimmons were bringing in so that they could handle anything that came up _without_ having to go to the Capitol with Norman in charge over there.

And of course, Hank was nothing but gentle as he went through his tests to make sure everything was alright before, at last, he turned to the two of them with a widening smile. "Would you like to see the little one for yourselves?" he asked, though the totally obvious, almost obnoxious grins that spread over both of their faces were clearly answer enough.

"I'm afraid it's a bit early to tell you the sex, but ... " Hank took just a moment and flipped a few switches on his machinery before he found the little one's heartbeat, moving a quick pace faster than Kate's. Hank gave them a moment to let it sink in before he got the angle he was looking for with the ultrasound equipment and then very gently turned the screen their way, revealing a perfect little profile. "It appears as though your progeny has your nose, Kate."

Both Kate and Kurt were staring openly at the image on the screen, stunned into silence and wide grins, before Kurt let out a little laugh of delight and kissed the top of Kate's head. "That is perfect," he declared happily, and Kate started to giggle.

"She's so little," Kate said with a little laugh that got louder when Kurt turned her way with raised eyebrows.

"Oh, so you want a little girl then?" he teased.

"C'mon, Kurt. You know you do too," she teased him right back.

"I'm happy as long as you and the little one are healthy," he said, though he couldn't stop the little chuckle all the same as he let her pull him into a long kiss.

They took a little longer, once Kate was cleaned up, just to take the time to be _excited_ , just the two of them, about their news, their reunion, and everything else — so by the time they got to the main area for what they thought would just be a big group dinner, they were a little surprised by the activity that was _still_ going on. They were sure that it would have petered out by now.

"I mean, I know Clint was _beautiful_ , but you can only celebrate Hawkeye snark for so long," Kate teased as she slid up to where Peter and Gwen were wrapped up in each other as well.

"Wrong," Peter called out. "We can celebrate Hawkeye snark for as long as it's funny."

"Too true," Kate laughed.

"Are we still celebrating snark?" Kurt asked as he slipped his arms around Kate's waist from behind.

"Well, we _were_ ," Gwen said with a twinkle in her eye. "But then Clara _tried_ to sneak past Kitty with a ring on her hand, and you know that wasn't going to happen."

Both Kate and Kurt broke into huge grins at that. "Wait," Kate said. "When did this happen?"

"Oh, about… fifteen minutes ago?" Gwen said with a little shrug. "Skye's convinced that Scott's going to break something grinning like that," she added, giggling this time as she gestured toward the newly-minted couple.

"How long do you think they'll wait, seeing as Scott is in danger of breaking himself?" Kurt asked.

"The better question is: How long do you think Heather will _make_ it?" Kate giggled.

"Oh," Kurt said, breaking into an even wider grin. "Who told her? Are they here yet?"

" _Did_ anyone tell her?" Kate asked.

"They did _not_ ," Skye said, smiling widely as she joined the conversation — looking delightedly smug over that fact. "Which means I would not want to be either one of them when news hits Mama Hudson." She bit her lip for a second and leaned toward the little group. "So, who do we send as messenger boy?"

"That is a very good question," Peter said, bouncing slightly from one foot to the other. "Do we want the messenger boy to survive or not?"

"Honestly, whoever it is'll probably get run over," Logan said as he joined the group and slipped in next to Skye. "Send someone who can be quick and keep quiet about what they're doing. So… not Clint."

"Or Quill," Kate laughed.

"I'll bet Wade'd like to be a part of this conspiracy," Logan said as he pulled Skye a little closer to steal a little kiss and was clearly going back on his 'hide' preference. "And he'll keep quiet if you tell him to. It just won't be subtle as he runs full bore all the way there."

"I'll do it," Kate volunteered almost immediately, practically skipping over to where Wade was so that she could lean over, tap him on the shoulder, and whisper the instructions in his ear.

The others in the group had to laugh as Wade's expression went from giddy to understanding to a look that was somewhere along the lines of 'mission mode' as he took off at a run out the door the second Kate stepped back.

Skye chuckled as she pulled Logan's arms around her a little tighter. "You know, I don't think his feet touched the ground the whole time," she teased.

"Probably not," he agreed. "Which means Heather'll be plowed over before she can return the favor." He looked over at the group gathered and let out a little breath. "How are things going with Fitzsimmons?"

Skye chuckled. "On the wedding front? Mister optimistic all of a sudden."

"No," he said before he gave her another little kiss. "On the eye front for the groom. He should be able to _see_ his bride."

"I hear that," Skye said, nodding quickly as she leaned into him a little more. "Well, last I checked in, it was all rushing around and setting things up so that they could do it _here_ and not have to worry about all the… everything happening in Marvel proper." She waved a hand. "Simmons says it'll be straightforward, and Fitz has promised the replacements will be indistinguishable from the originals. It's just a matter of setup, as I understand it."

"Tell 'em to get it into gear," he said. "Or do I have to do all the threatening around here?"

"Oh. They're hurrying," Skye promised. "Pretty much made them drop everything else they were doing for this."

At that, Logan seemed satisfied — for now anyhow. And with that, the two of them went to a quieter corner while the celebrations and congratulations started up a little more properly.

They weren't there long, though before Heather burst through the front door — with Mac and the kids in her wake, obviously searching for Scott.

When she found him in the crowd, she did a full stop, just staring at him for a second, the expressions on her face running the gamut from joy to devastation to pride and everything in the middle. She hadn't seen him since the attack, and it was clear she was taking a moment just to… take him in… before she simply got to the both of them and first and foremost wrapped him in a hug.

Scott was very nearly knocked backward before he returned the hug with a wide grin. "When did you get here?" he asked as he gave her one more good squeeze.

"About thirty seconds ago," she replied before she reached over and pulled Clara into the hug too. "You two … _why_ didn't I know about this sooner?"

"It… _just_ happened," Scott offered. "I'd have brought her over later."

"But your lunatic friend from One got to know before _me_?"

"Wade." Scott shook his head at that. "That was just… by virtue of him being in the house at the same time. It wasn't purposeful." He gave her a little smile. "Come on; you know you're going to have the run of the wedding anyway."

"I have a feeling just being in this house is rubbing off all the wrong habits on you," she teased. "Honestly. _Secrets_. I didn't know you were ready to propose!"

"I… was almost done with the ring. Things just came up," Scott said sheepishly.

Heather looked surprised for a moment, then grabbed Clara's hand to inspect the ring, letting out a little sound that was unmistakably that of a proud mother. "Where did you … _how_?"

Clara grinned over at Scott, who was flushing with pleasure. "I, ah, carved the mold. Logan said the wood would splinter, though, so…"

"So he recommended someone; that's _perfect_ , Scott."

"It really is," Clara said, though she was smirking Scott's way.

"Can I see?" Elsie asked as Mac and the kids got caught up with the rest of them — past the initial round of hugs that the kids wanted to give _everyone,_ especially Logan. She didn't seem to be waiting for much invitation, though, as she just climbed up onto the chair with Clara and grinned. "I like it."

"So do I," Clara told her.

"So does that make you my sister now?" Elsie said. "It does, right? I get another sister? A bigger sister?"

"Yes that's pretty much the deal," Clara agreed. "Sister-in-law. Close enough."

Elsie broke into a wide, beaming smile and nodded happily before she gave Clara a good hug. "You be nice to my brother," she warned in Clara's ear through the hug.

"I'll watch out for him," Clara said just as quietly.

Elsie beamed at that and then climbed over Clara's lap to give Scott a good solid hug — starting off a whole round of Hudson hugs for everyone involved, as was always going to happen once they all got in the door.


	26. Outstanding Issues

**Chapter 26: Outstanding Issues**

* * *

 _September 16_

 _Howlett Manor_

* * *

While, for the most part, everyone in the manor was taking the chance to just… get a breath, relax, and try to come back down from everything that had happened over the last few months, Charles and Bobbi were still hard at work with their fellow former victors.

To their great relief, it seemed that Johnny, at least, would be relatively easy to deal with now that the drugs were out of his system. Once those were gone, it was clear to Charles that there was no need to restrain him, as Johnny just didn't want to fight. It was more a matter of getting him to engage than getting him to stand down, actually.

"It's okay; I'm good right here," Johnny said. "I get it. Really. I'm safe. And … here. So. it's okay."

Charles let out a small sigh as he sat down beside Johnny and gave him a friendly smile. "Yes, you are safe," he had to agree. "But it's just as safe to get out and talk with the rest of the residents of this manor — and to engage with life."

"I don't want to do anything until you know I'm not going to go after anyone," Johnny said. "I remember how messed up it was when we got Logan back."

"That situation, while similar, was not the same as yours," Charles told him gently.

"And besides, you know I'll take you down in three seconds flat if you have any problems," Bobbi promised with a little grin. "Which you won't. From what Jess said — you know, when she's being helpful — your default command was _not_ to engage."

"Right. Because I'm such a wrecking crew all the time on my own otherwise."

"You can be when you want to be," Bobbi teased lightly. She reached over and squeezed his arm. "Come on. Everyone's been throwing popcorn at Norman's face on the screen whenever he makes a presidential speech. It's fun, I promise. Or we can find a campaign poster for you to set fire to."

"Can't I just set fire to _him_?" Johnny asked with a crooked smirk.

"Yes, yes you could," Bobbi said, nodding and honestly sounding a bit relieved to hear him joke around.

"So … how long before you know for sure if I'm crazy or … messed up or whatever?"

"To be quite honest with you," Charles said, leaning forward with a twinkle in his gaze, "it was obvious some time ago that you're perfectly sane. Or is that not what you were expecting to hear?" He smiled a little wider as he added, "And as for being 'messed up,' that's a simple matter of just letting you return to your _normal_ life. Everything else, we will deal with as it comes."

"I just figured … with the way it went last time... that it was going to be a while," Johnny said.

Charles shook his head, still with that same warm smile. "What Norman Osborn did to you and Jessica was absolutely wrong, but you were not subjected to the same things that Miss Sarkissian did."

"Trust me," Bobbi said, leaning forward. "I'm literally an expert on this. You're going to be just. Fine."

"Well, okay then," Johnny said, leaning back and relaxing.

"So ... come play pool with me tonight?" Bobbi asked with a little smile. "If we're quick, we can steal the best table before the Hawkeyes get there."

"Hey, you know what? That sounds like a great idea," Johnny said, smiling back at her.

She grinned. "Great. I look forward to totally wiping the floor with you."

She moved to undo the restraints, and as soon as Johnny was freed, he sat up. He rubbed his wrists, the smile slowly getting wider until he pulled her over for a quick hug. "I'm really glad you're here."

"Hey, we've got each other's backs," Bobbi said.

"Yeah." Johnny let out a long breath and gave her one more squeeze. "Thanks."

Charles looked to Bobbi as Johnny stretched and got his bearings about him. "So now, we take on the more difficult case."

Bobbi let out a little sigh and smiled Charles' way, though it was a little tighter. "Sure I can't just hug it out with her too?" she had to ask, just to tease a little.

"Well you could try, but I doubt that you'll have the same results."

Bobbi had to chuckle at that before she got up to stretch and then head next door to find Jess, who was harder to work with — simply because for her, there had been fewer drugs, after she'd been more conditioned to what Norman needed from her. So it wasn't as easy as just getting her clean.

"Thanks for the help with Johnny," Bobbi told Charles, pausing in front of the door to Jess' room. "Knowing the default command — I think that helped him get past the little block he was having, mentally."

"I'm certain it did," Charles agreed. "Whenever you're ready, we can start with hypnotism with Miss Drew and see if we can find the commands — unless you think you can do it without."

"No, no — you go ahead. It's easier with help," Bobbi said quickly. Which was true. It was always easier to do this kind of work with someone else, especially since she could feel Viper's shadow looming over her shoulder every time she did it. Better to have someone there who knew her — and could stop her if she started to lose herself again.

He gestured to the door, and soon after that, the two of them were settling in with a very uncooperative Jessica Drew. The session wasn't very productive — it was hit and miss with Jess sometimes — and it left both Charles and Bobbi frustrated. They knew they were likely to have bad days at times, but Bobbi was honestly downhearted.

It was, after all, much harder to _reverse_ this kind of thing than to inflict it.

"We'll need to get her up and out of the bed soon," Charles pointed out. "And as formidable as you are, I would prefer you had help."

"I'm not opposed to backup," Bobbi said. "Who did you have in mind?"

"Who do you think would be most helpful to _her_?" Charles asked. "It should be someone she trusts. Or … did trust."

Bobbi leaned back in her seat as she thought about it, long and hard. "Jess… plays things close to the vest. The list is very small."

"And yet you know her probably better than anyone else," Charles said with a little smile.

"Yeah, she totally saved my life after I became a victor," Bobbi agreed, leaning back still farther as she considered it. "She trusted Fury. She trusted me… Hill and Coulson — and May, maybe. And Logan."

"Then our options are limited," Charles said, nodding his head.

"She trusted a few of the kids as well," Bobbi clarified. "But I'm not sure … Natasha, maybe Clint could help, but for the most part, she was sort of in charge of the sweet stylists and the little kids."

"Then I'll go talk to Logan," Charles said with a little nod. "I'm sure he'll want to help Jessica."

"Yeah, if you tell him it's for Jess, he'll be here in a heartbeat," Bobbi said. "I'll stay here with her, see if I can…" She glanced over at the glaring Jess. "Well. Do _something_."

Charles simply slipped out of the room, closing it carefully behind him on his way to find Logan. It wasn't much of a search, as most of the kids of the original Awesomes were gathered up in the kitchen while Kate and Skye were comparing little remedies for their various complaints.

Kate had just been very theatrical in her insistence that her nausea was much worse than she thought humanly possible when Logan reached over and gently took her hand to press a spot on her wrist, shaking his head at her as she went from telling him he was nuts to grinning.

Kurt was smiling widely as well, having been sure to take note of where the pressure point was. "Any excuse to hold your hand, _Vögelchen,_ " Kurt laughed as he took over for Logan.

"If you don't mind," Charles said, hating to interrupt the party but going forward all the same, "I could use your help, Logan."

"Sure," Logan replied, not even asking what was the task was.

"We're working on Jessica Drew," Charles said as they hit the kitchen door.

"Whatever you need, Charlie," Logan said, not bothered in the least.

"You think you can work with Bobbi on this?" Charles asked, not wanting to surprise Logan if he could avoid it.

"What do you need me to do?" Logan asked. "Just be ready to tackle her, right? I can do that."

Charles tipped his head Logan's way. "That is the long and short of it, yes." The two of them got to the room, and it was clear that Bobbi was just waiting for them to really get started. "I have done some hypnotism work with her already. We need to test and make sure that she's alright with them before moving on."

Bobbi raised a hand in greeting with a small smile. "Believe it or not, she's improving. She helped us with Johnny a little earlier.

"So what do you need me to do?" Logan asked. "Or is this another 'just stand there' kind of situation?"

"I need someone good for back up. Jess can take me down on a good day," Bobbi admitted.

"Then I'm here if she's havin' a good day?" Logan said with an eyebrow raised. "Sure. Stand there and be pretty it is."

Bobbi smirked at him for that before Charles joined her and the two of them set to work, gently guiding Jess through the hypnotism session, with occasional input from Bobbi when it seemed she thought they might have found something worthwhile.

"No, that was it," she said under her breath to Charles as she put a hand on his arm. "Back up … watch her reaction…"

Charles paid a little closer attention to their patient as Jess half held her breath and almost shook in a panic, anticipating … something.

But as he and Bobbi discussed it, Logan was silently starting to panic on his own. He wouldn't say anything, of course. For multiple reason. For one, Jess _needed_ him there — but just as importantly, he'd heard Bobbi's tone a few too many times to just skim over or ignore it. And if he was being honest with himself, he was rooted to the spot.

It was another half an hour as Charles gently worked Jess through, trying to convince her that she was alright and to get her to calm down — but after a while, they finally had to call it a day and let Jess _rest_ for as worked up as she had gotten at several points.

Charles rubbed both of his temples with the tips of his fingers for a moment before he stood to leave. "Thank you, Bobbi. I think we're making actual progress here. At the very least, she didn't try to attack anyone this time," he added, smiling Logan's way and fully intending to thank him for coming, even if they hadn't needed him — until he saw that look of panic on Logan's face that had Bobbi still in her tracks as well when she saw it.

Logan was locked on to Bobbi, and the moment she moved, he sidestepped toward the door, unwilling to take his eyes off of her. He didn't say a word, though, before he stepped out ahead of them and flat vanished.

It was quiet in Jess' room for a few moments. It was clear that Bobbi was crestfallen at the very least.

"I wasn't expecting that," Charles admitted softly.

"Maybe we should have," Bobbi said, matching his tone. "I worked on him often enough…"

"And I thought I had gotten him past it," Charles said. "The two of you were joking around."

"Yeah." Bobbi let out a sigh; it was clear she was disappointed. "I was kind of hoping we were past it too. But honestly, Charles, it's not like he's ever been in… well, _this_ kind of setting with me again. You can't blame him. J. Jonah Jameson would probably deck me if I asked him in a room where _anyone_ was restrained."

"We'll have to do something about this," Charles insisted. "There are already too many 'don'ts' that he refuses to address."

"Charles," Bobbi said in a sigh. "Let me talk to him first, at least."

"If you think he'll listen," Charles replied. "In the meantime, I'll have a word with Miss Romanoff. I'd like to get back to work with Jessica tomorrow."

"Absolutely," Bobbi said with a nod. "Nat and I can work together just fine."

* * *

 _September 18_

 _Howlett Manor_

* * *

Kate was feeling particularly miserable again and trying to get it back under control. Kurt had gone into the town with Peter to get the legal papers that Scott would need now that he and Clara were getting married — and Peter wanted to get things settled for himself and Gwen as well, since, apparently, Norman had done at least one thing in their favor and kicked the spiders into high gear when it came to knowing what they wanted.

Which was great. Kate really was happy for her friends. For Peter, for Gwen, for Scott… She just… was really miserable. And nothing she was doing was working, either.

"That shade of pale doesn't look too good with the purple," Logan pointed out as he took a seat next to Kate on the couch. "You might think about a different color."

Kate pulled a face at him as she tried to get more comfortable. "My favorite hand-holder is gone," she explained through her teeth.

"That's criminal," he said as he turned fully to face her, his head propped up by his arm on the back of the couch.

"Yeah, well, it's for a good cause, so I can't even complain properly," she grumbled.

"Sure you can," he argued. "You're doin' one hell of a job right now. I could do the stand in hand-holding, unless you just like complaining."

She smirked up at him for that one. "No, no, I'd rather be _not_ dying. Please do the stand-in thing."

He smirked the slightest and sat upright a little better before he reached for her arm and started with the right pressure points. "You can do this yourself, too."

"It's easier when it's someone else," she admitted. "The moving thing… just… ugh."

"It'll get better," he promised.

"I mean, I like holding Kurt's hand and all, but — tell me the truth; was it this bad for Skye? Because I totally couldn't tell."

"Some days," he said. "But … not as often as you're dealing with it, I don't think."

She made a face. "Susan said it means I'm having a boy when I called her. Some old wives' tale that boys make you more nauseous."

"Well, there's some truth to that," he said with a little smirk. "Just maybe not the way she's looking at it. Wouldn't be sick at all if not for your boy."

Kate had to chuckle at that. "That… is totally true."

He looked up at her for a moment. "If this isn't working, let me know. I'm pretty sure there's another one to try."

"No, this is working," she promised him, visibly relaxing. "Actually, when it was me and Tony, he had this gadget I could use, but I left it in One. They didn't exactly ask me if I wanted to pack my things when they said it was time to go to the Capitol."

"Wish I coulda got you out quicker," he admitted before he let her arm go.

"It's alright," she promised. "I shouldn't have been out in the first place, when I knew there were snatchings and … all the other stuff I knew." She let out a sigh. "Doesn't matter. I'm back now, I've got my Elf, and you are a _great_ replacement, thanks."

"Anytime," he replied before he leaned back against the couch again. "So … you're not sick for now. Whatcha wanna do?"

"Well, once Kurt and Pete get back, I was supposed to go get Gwen so she can get her butt in gear for signing important stuff," Kate said with a twinkle in her eye. "Kurt was going to find Scott — unless you wanted to just expedite it and get him there too. Picture it: fireman's carry."

"I think Scott would appreciate Kurt more," Logan replied.

"Yeah but the rest of us would miss out," she teased, then grinned even wider. "Oooh, you could do that to Clint. Carry him down to see how it's done so he can get his butt in gear."

"I can tie him up and drag him by his ankles, you mean," Logan said. "And it's not Clint … it's Nat."

"True," Kate nodded. "But she's so much harder to hog tie."

"Says you."

"See, now I kind of want to see you do it," Kate said with a troublemaking grin.

"Then I might have to," he agreed.

"Might have to what?" Bobbi asked from the doorway as she poked her head in.

Logan glanced her way and visibly stiffened up, though he didn't bolt like she was afraid he might do — considering she knew he was avoiding her. "Nothin'," Logan said.

"Tie up Nat and make her see the error of her ways," Kate sang out with a smile Bobbi's way, though she was watching Logan closely. "You know. With all the _weddings_ going on."

"Yeah, and _forcing_ her to look at anything is only going to hit her buttons," Bobbi pointed out, though she wasn't going to comment on that any further, especially given the history she had with Clint. She didn't want to touch it. Instead, she glanced Logan's way and let out a small breath. "Nat's been partnering with me, by the way. She and Jess got along well enough, and you know between the two of us, we can handle it."

Logan nodded and kept his gaze to his hands. "Good."

Kate looked between the two of them and let out a little derisive noise. "Oh. We're back to this now."

Bobbi shook her head at Kate. "Kate—"

"Have you tried, oh, maybe 'sorry about all the crazy'?" Kate asked Bobbi before she turned to Logan. "Or maybe … listening? For a hot second? Jeez, you two."

"It's fine," Logan said. "I shouldn't have gone with. Simple enough."

Kate gave him a _look_ and then gestured at Bobbi wordlessly. Bobbi responded by shooting Kate a glare, but Kate held her gaze until Bobbi sank down into a seat close by.

"Charles is going to be looking for you. I wanted to tell you before he got to you," Bobbi told Logan quietly.

"Thanks; I'll keep that in mind," Logan replied just as quietly.

She nodded and then let out a long and tired sigh. "I didn't realize having you in the room would be a problem, but in hindsight, it was a huge mistake on my part. I should have known better. I'm supposed to be the expert here."

"Forget it; you got work to do," Logan said with a quick shake of his head.

"Yeah, I'm taking a quick break. Jess was getting worked up again, so we're… cooling off for a while," Bobbi admitted. "Nat's still in there with Charles putting their heads together on what to do next." She glanced his way as she added, "I know I'm the expert, but I hate it, you know."

"Well, yeah, duh, because you have a conscience," Kate pointed out when Logan didn't say anything.

"Worse for the one on the other side," Bobbi said, still looking Logan's way, and when Kate cleared her throat, Bobbi let out a breath. "I really am sorry, Logan," she said.

"You had to keep your cover. Let it go," he said in a gruff tone.

Bobbi shook her head. "No, I should have gotten you out and damn the consequences. And I've got to live with that, so I'd just as soon not forget it."

"I knew going in I could have been killed. It's _fine._ "

"What we did to you was worse than killing you," Bobbi said.

"Just go fix Jess," he said.

Bobbi shook her head. "That's what I'm doing. I just… wanted to give you a heads up on Charles. He's worried. You know how he is."

"He's always worried. He'll find another project sooner or later."

"Oh, I'm sure. But he's pretty stubborn, you know. You didn't have to deal with him as long as I did, and he has a way of getting what he wants."

"Yeah, well. I can be stubborn from time to time too."

A ghost of a smirk crossed Bobbi's face. "Really?"

"I've been told."

"You just don't strike me that way," she said. "They must have been lying."

He just shrugged lightly as if dismissing a mistake anyone could make, and Kate let out a little groan of frustration and a muttered, "It's like watching Clint in slow motion."

Both Bobbi and Logan gave her a _look_ for that one before Bobbi stood up to leave. "I'll let you know how things go with Jess," she promised.

"You don't have to," Logan said. "I'll see her when you two get through with her."

"Sure, but you're on the short list of people she considers a friend. I think I'll update you anyhow," Bobbi said with a nod.

She was barely gone for thirty seconds before Logan got up to leave himself. "Let me know when the rice throwing is done."

"And here I thought you were going to hogtie Nat," Kate said, sounding disappointed.

"Maybe some other time, Trickshot."

Kate tipped her head to the side before she promptly got up and pulled on his arm to snag him in a hug. "Hey," she said. "Whatever's going on? I'm good at holding hands too." She grinned at him with a teasing sparkle in her eyes.

"Not important," he said, giving her a little smirk. "Like you said, just bein' stupid."

"Well you should cut that out. You're gonna be a father soon, mister, and heaven knows the mini director needs to _not_ learn stupid from _someone_."

"You're too worried about the far future. Kid probably won't even recognize me for a year anyhow."

"Lies. Tell me you don't talk to her. Kurt already talks to ours, but he's just that way."

Logan gave her a look. "I barely talk to you now, and you're in front of me."

"Step it up, Logan," she teased. "Sing lullabies or something. I know you _can_."

"Can't prove it. And not one damn person in the country wants to hear me singin'."

Kate broke into a wider grin. "Oh, Cecila, you're breaking my heart," she sang under her breath.

"No idea what you're talking about," he replied, finally heading toward the door. "But you're a little sharp."

"You're a terrible liar."

"I'm an incredible liar, and you know it."

She giggled and shook her head. "Mmm mm. Nope. Horrible. D minus."

"Whatever you say, Trickshot," Logan said almost lazily with a wave as he left.


	27. Eyes In

**Chapter 27: Eyes In**

As soon as Kurt and Peter got back to the manor, Peter rushed off to go find Gwen and get started. The two of them were _ready_ to get married, and the engagement was out the window.

"We spent _forever_ locked up together in a secret lab and still want to get married; I think that totally counts," Peter said if anyone pressed him on it — not that Kurt did press him.

So with Peter making a beeline for Gwen, Kurt turned the other way and headed toward where he knew he would find Scott. More days than not, he was in Fitzsimmons' lab as the pair of scientists was getting ready for the surgical replacements they had in mind — measuring and testing and generally assuring a skeptical Scott that everything was going to work perfectly.

So Scott sounded honestly relieved when he heard someone open the door to the lab. "Come to help them poke at me?" he called out to whoever it was.

"Not exactly, but if they need an extra hand?" Kurt replied. "Who am I to argue?"

Scott smirked at that and shook his head, though now that he knew it was Kurt, he couldn't help grinning wider. "So, how long are you going to wait before you help me sign those things?" he asked. "Let's get out of here; they're done poking me anyway, aren't you?" he asked Fitz, who looked like he might argue but decided against it when he realized what was going on.

"Whenever you're ready," Kurt said with a grin.

Scott hopped down from the table and skirted around the other lab equipment with the ease of someone who had been there often enough to learn where everything was before Kurt led the way to one of the rooms that wasn't being used so they could sit and sign in peace.

"I've filled out the basic parts for you," Kurt said. "But the signature …"

Scott nodded. "Just show me where to sign it," he said.

"How about you try it out on a plain sheet of paper first so I can see how it needs to lay for you?" Kurt suggested.

Scott nodded approvingly. "Yeah, good idea."

Kurt smirked and pulled out a blank sheet. Once Scott was holding the pen, he guided Scott's hand to a spot he designated, just so he could watch how he wrote. And when he had a decent idea after a few signatures, he drew a line and tried one last time before he was reasonably sure how to orient the paper best for him.

"Now ... the real thing," Kurt said, carefully guiding Scott's hand.

Scott wrote carefully and precisely in small handwriting, then tipped his head Kurt's way. "Well? I didn't sign in her spot or anything?" he asked with a grin.

"No," Kurt chuckled. "You did well."

"Thanks, Kurt," he said, leaning back.

"You're very welcome," Kurt said, unable to stop the grin.

"I can hear you doing that. You're going to have to pull it back sooner or later."

"What?" Kurt asked, still grinning widely. "I'm not doing anything."

"I can hear the grin in your voice," Scott told him, though he was smiling too.

Kurt let out a dismissive noise and waved his hand. "As if that was a terrible thing."

"No, but you're going to have to get it under control."

"Nonsense," Kurt said gruffly. "You simply need to let it out more often."

Scott chuckled. "I think I'm fine on that front, really. But seriously, Kurt, it's obscene, and I'm going to have to listen to you doing that the whole time if you can get the licensing done to do the ceremony."

Kurt grinned somehow wider before he did his best to _try_ to school his face-splitting smile. "What makes you think that I didn't already?"

Scott looked surprised. "Kate had mentioned it a while ago, but I didn't know you'd _finished_."

"It was the simple matter of filling out a form here," Kurt said. "And with as many couples as we have here, I figured it would be a matter of time before we needed one. And ... Skye has yet to get her title officially, so … "

Scott couldn't help the little chuckle at that. "Yeah, I didn't think about that. Skye could probably do it in a few years... but I'm not going to wait that long."

"Does that mean you'd like me to handle your ceremony?" Kurt asked — just needing to clarify.

"If you're not opposed," Scott said with a nod. "Heather's handling pretty much everything else, honestly."

"What on earth would I be opposed to?"

"You never know. Fitz was telling me he'd ream me out if I got married before the surgery, so everyone's got an opinion," Scott said with a small laugh.

"You'd only be robbing yourself of seeing your bride," Kurt pointed out. "You won't look at anything else that day anyhow."

"Yeah, if this works… I'm looking forward to seeing her, honestly. She keeps insisting she looks different now, and I'm looking forward to proving her wrong," Scott said with a little smirk before he pushed the paperwork Kurt's way. "Anyway, thanks for the help."

"Anytime," Kurt replied. "Now. Back to the stylings of the lovely Fitzsimmons — who I have to tell you: Skye was joking about putting the papers together for them and presenting it to them for Christmas — or to your lovely fiance?"

"They'd sign them without realizing what they were signing if you put them in front of them when they're all worked up like this," Scott pointed out.

"She was going to sign it for them and file it — because they have caught on with her and read things now. She said she'd forge their names, but Logan pointed out that she can't write their last names independently."

Scott smirked. "Well, I honestly think Fitz might surprise us. None of you have spent as much time with them as I have, and I'm telling you: you can hear it in just the way he talks to her. It's even more pronounced than before."

"Then perhaps I'll get more papers," Kurt said. "Leave them on his desk."

"That might be just the push he needs," Scott mused. "Have someone else do the terrifying work of having to go somewhere and just… have them on hand for a moment of bravery."

"Consider it done," Kurt agreed before he took Scott's elbow and started toward where he knew Clara was with Kamala, quietly discussing what they thought was next up in the Capitol, what with Osborn putting together his own security 'teams' and 'investigations' and generally being an idiot.

"Mind if I borrow you for a little while?" Scott asked Clara once Kurt got them both there.

"How can you borrow me when I told you," Clara said with a playful little smirk, "I'm already yours, goon."

"Maybe I just like being reminded," he teased. "Kurt went down to town to get some paperwork, by the way. You just need to sign it; he did all the hard work."

"Gimmie," she said, already making grabby hands.

He chuckled as he let her grab it from him. "Also, he's apparently already set to minister, so…"

"Perfect," she said with a nod. "Then all we do now is wait for Heather to tell us when we can get all prettied up."

"I'm sure she's already got everything set up. I thought we were waiting for Fitzsimmons to let me loose," he pointed out.

"Yeah, well … I thought they'd _tell_ you things," she said, shaking her head. "It's just a matter of making it happen. At least, that's what they were saying a couple days ago."

"Well, if that's true, I don't see why we can't just get it over with. I'd rather know one way or the other if it'll take," Scott said.

"Talk to them. Tell them you know and it's time they tried getting it into gear for once," Clara said.

"Might start a trend," he said with a smirk, thinking on his conversation with Kurt.

* * *

 _September 19_

 _Howlett Manor_

* * *

As was usually the case whenever they were on the crux of a big project, Fitz and Simmons were both doing their best impression of totally nervous as they rushed around the lab preparing for the surgery for Scott — all while Skye watched close by with a small, almost protective glare and her arms crossed over her bulging stomach.

"Really, Skye. Everything is going to be just fine," Simmons said in a tone that was almost breathless.

"Uh-huh," she said, her chin tipped up as she looked down her nose at the goings-on. "I'm just saying … the last time you two started in … just … make sure you get it right."

"Oh, this isn't anything like the last time," Simmons assured her quickly.

"No, no — the surgery's just like with Ororo," Fitz agreed.

"Now, we've made a few modifications—"

"Since it's both eyes—"

"And of course, there was some damage around the sockets as well—"

"But essentially, yes, it's still the same," Fitz finished out with a decisive nod.

"And you told him everything you have planned out in your little mad scientist scenario?" Skye challenged. "Because I do not like you two experimenting on my boys from Seven."

"It's not an _experiment_ ," Fitz said.

"It's new, but it's not experimental," Simmons agreed.

"And we did tell him we're improving his vision," Fitz said.

"Oh, _substantially_ ," Simmons said, nodding seriously.

Skye half-glared at both of them. "I don't have my van to deal with him later if something goes wrong …"

"Nothing's going to go _wrong_ ," Simmons assured her.

"At the worst, the heat vision doesn't work," Fitz agreed.

Skye's eyes widened at that. "Is that a _joke_? Because if it's not, that … that falls into the 'you need to tell him first' category."

"Well, we told him we'd like to add in a few different kinds of vision, and he seemed fine with it as long as it meant he could still pilot," Fitz said.

"Were you talking to him in your rapid-fire, shared-brain speak?"

Fitz and Simmons shared a look. "Well, it's not like we can exactly _help_ it," Simmons offered mildly.

Skye took a few steps closer and gave them both her most serious expression. "You need to explain it to him. Slowly. And clearly. Because you two? You get going, and no one can follow you."

The two scientists glanced at each other, shared a look of concern, and then both nodded before they headed over to where Scott was just… waiting to get started.

"It's come to our attention that we _might_ not have fully explained all the modifications we want to make," Fitz said awkwardly, and Scott smirked.

"No, I think I followed… half of it," he said. "I'll still have normal vision, though, right? I can see colors, details, all that?"

Simmons was quick to nod. "Oh, absolutely."

Scott shrugged. "So, what's the holdup?"

Skye tossed her hands up. "I tried. Seriously. That's all I can say."

Scott chuckled and shook his head at her. "Hey, I'm not going to complain if they can let me see Clara again — and fly and carve. Everything else is incidental."

Skye shook her head and crossed the short distance to lay a hand on his arm. "I'll be here when you wake up."

"Thanks," he said with a smile as he gave her hand a little squeeze. "No offense, but could you make sure Clara's there first?" he added with a teasing tone to his voice.

"Oh, I'm sure she'll be perched on your bed. I'll be across the room — or next door _strangling_ someone if something goes sideways."

Scott laughed and shook his head. "It wouldn't be their fault."

"Stop … being so _reasonable_ ," Skye said as she smacked his arm.

"Can't, sorry," he teased, leaning back to get a little more comfortable as Fitzsimmons were finally ready to get started, and Simmons was already falling into "doctor" mode, assuring him that it was going to be fine as she got him set up with an IV to put him under.

A while later, when Scott started to come out of the sedation, it wasn't immediately obvious whether or not it had worked, since the first thing that came back was his sense of hearing, and he was still a little groggy. And even then, he had to pause for a second before he tried opening his eyes, still halfway nervous about it.

But, like she'd promised, Clara was right there — the first thing he saw — and he broke into a wide grin on seeing her. Yes, the marks that Creed had left behind were distinctive and obvious, but otherwise, she looked exactly like he remembered her. "Told you," he said in a raspy, still-waking-up voice when he saw her.

"Oh, crap," Clara said, trying not to smile too much. "They don't work."

Scott chuckled. "Don't let her lie to you, Simmons," he said before either of the scientists could react — and without looking away from Clara. "She just can't take a compliment."

She grinned at him and quickly leaned forward to kiss him. "And the focus is clearly off."

He laughed before he pulled her into a slightly more involved kiss then finally looked around to see Skye too. "And you were worried," he teased.

"You don't know how last time went," Skye pointed out before she got to her feet and crossed the room to just give him a quick hug — and Clara too. "Now, prepare for the dozen or so needles."

"Well, I've been warned," he said with a smirk before Simmons came over to do just that, running through a few tests to make sure that his body wasn't rejecting the replacements, while Fitz bounded over looking excited.

"I'll see you later," Skye said as she turned to leave. "I'll let everyone know you made it through fine."

"Thanks," Scott called out her way. "Really."

Skye waved over her shoulder and left the young couple to Fitzsimmons.

"Alright then," Fitz said, looking excited as he slid up next to Scott. "I told you: we've made a few adjustments. Different kinds of vision. Just your basics. Night vision… heat vision… infrared," he listed off.

Scott blinked at him. "I… thought you meant I could see further off or something," he said.

"Well, you _can_ ," Simmons said. "Distance and peripheral vision should be markedly improved."

"You'll have to be tested, of course," Fitz said. "To determine your new thresholds."

Scott had a disbelieving sort of stunned smile on. "Right. Of course."

"Oh, but Fitz, show him how to toggle between the different settings," Simmons prompted, sounding proud of Fitz' invention — as usual.

"Right, right," Fitz said quickly, beaming. "We've got it set up ... just here…" He tapped a spot on Scott's temple. "Go ahead, try it out."

Wearing a totally bemused expression, Scott did just that, pressing the spot that Fitz had indicated — and he let out a soft 'woah' when the world changed colors into an infrared setting. He blinked around for a moment as he tried to adjust to it.

"He seems to be enjoying this," Fitz said quietly to Simmons.

"Did you mean for them to glow?" Clara had to ask as Scott switched to heat vision and back to infrared, slowly starting to grin at the cybernetic eyes that had gone from brown to a deep red that, even in the light of the lab, gave off a glow.

"Yes, well, that's part of the enhancements anyway," Fitz said with a little huff and a wave of his hand.

"It won't glow for normal vision," Simmons said with a hopeful smile. "It's just part of how they convert power for the more advanced bits of tech."

"Can I have a mirror?" Scott asked at that.

"Oh!" Simmons said, jumping slightly before she rushed to bring him a hand mirror. "Of course you'd want to see."

Scott smirked her way for a second at that and then tipped his head sideways as he studied the reflection — first normally and then with the different settings, though it was hard for _him_ to see the glow when it wasn't a normal setting in the first place. "It's not too noticeable, is it?" he asked.

"Well, of course, the sensors compensate for the glow, so it might be a titch brighter than what you're seeing," Fitz tried to clarify — while simultaneously waving the concern off.

"Clara?" Scott turned her way, one eyebrow raised and with the infrared on. "What do you think?"

"I think it's a lot less troublesome than the sunglasses you had, oh, fearless leader."

He had to grin at that and chuckled. "Well alright then," he said before he switched back to his 'normal' setting and smiled at Fitzsimmons. "Thanks — really."

"Try not to let Skye tell you 'I told you so' too loudly," Simmons advised.

"That's a daily struggle sometimes," Scott returned with a smirk.

"Go ahead," Simmons said with a little shooing motion. "I've got all the samples I need for now; if it looks off in any way, I'll come find you."

At that, Scott broke into an honest grin as he grabbed Clara's hand. "Come on," he said in a more excited tone. "Let's go see the Hudsons."


	28. Retaliation

**Chapter 28: Retaliation**

* * *

 _September 20_

 _District One_

* * *

It hadn't even been a week since Osborn was elected, and for as much as everyone was expecting for things to go terribly, they hadn't… Not yet, anyway.

Sure, the guy had pulled all support for SHIELD and replaced them with his own 'Avengers' team, but it seemed like he was honestly taking the presidency seriously. He didn't do anything terribly alarming or try to come after Hill or any of the kids.

They were just… waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Of course, that in and of itself was completely calculated. It was no secret that the citizens of Marvel were livid with how the election had gone down, and there were constant calls for the election to be re-done. But … rather than deny any wrongdoing, Osborn had promised to do just that — promising that there would be a new election if the 'investigation' into the claims of election fraud turned up any truth.

Which was all well and good and slightly mollified a few people, but it didn't convince everybody — certainly not the people who had lived it.

Which was why they were putting together their own evidence. They had a few things that the spiders had brought from their lab, of course, but the most damning evidence would obviously have been the program and the tech itself that Tony had used. And while Tony was doing his best to recreate it — and fast — with Skye, Osborn was going on and on about 'unfounded' accusations and how he was confident he'd be able to move past the whole thing.

And Clint… just wasn't going to stand by and let the guy run his mouth any longer. So after a little confab with Tony and Kate to get some salient details on more or less where they had been held in One, Clint and Natasha headed down to Fisk's neighborhood to see if they could find something to speed the process along.

It was entirely possible that Osborn wanted everything destroyed in that lab Tony had been working in, but the one thing that you could always count on when it came to slimeballs working together was that they kept stuff like that on file to use against each other later.

If there was evidence that the election had been rigged, Fisk would almost certainly want to keep it, have it in his back pocket, so he had leverage. Power.

So they were pretty sure the drive Tony had worked off of for weeks in One hadn't been destroyed; it was just a matter of finding it.

They'd learned from the last time they tried to infiltrate Fisk's building as well — bringing along gas masks and a half dozen grappling arrows, not to mention Natasha's gun that Fitz had specially designed to shatter glass, particularly the bullet-proof kind, since it didn't shoot bullets anyway.

The two of them stuck close together as the infiltrated the building, hardly a word spoken; years' worth of partnership was more than enough for them to communicate with each other with just a look. Sure, they could have covered more ground if they split up, but neither of them was going to risk that with a known kidnapper and murderer, not to mention the distinct possibility of traps like the gas Natasha had encountered the last time. No, they wanted to be able to bail each other out if necessary, and as Natasha infiltrated one room, Clint was always in the next — or in the vents on the way to the next — and they were always within calling distance of each other even without the comms.

But so far, they simply weren't finding anything — and not for lack of trying. Clint had already cracked two safes and found plenty of money — and an entire folder full of crooked property deals that he'd made a mental note of to get into later. And Natasha had disabled three alarm systems by the time they were halfway through the building. There was plenty of corruption, plenty of secrets to be uncovered. They just weren't finding the _exact_ secret they were looking for.

Natasha had taken a little longer than usual in the room at the end of the hall going through some of the records of 'business deals' that Fisk had made — not that she thought she would find the drive there. She was just making a quick note of his partners so that they had other places to look _when_ they found themselves in more trouble with this guy. After all, people like him didn't just drop off the radar from one prisoner breakout.

Clint was supposed to be in the room next door on safe number three. This one was a little more promising simply because of its location; they had been working their way up, and the closer they got to the suite that took up the top floor, the more _interesting_ things they found. He would probably be a little longer anyway — she'd heard him muttering over their comms about how the safe this time around was going to take more doing and a little more finagling to hide their tracks so they didn't sound any alarms.

So she was surprised when she heard a scuffle from the room next door — sure that Clint hadn't set off any alarms or he would have been swearing up a storm in her ear — and she dropped the files she had been reading through in order to rush for the door, somehow not surprised to find that someone was blocking it on the other side before she simply broke through it, not in the mood for games.

By the time she burst through the door and got to the room next to hers, it was pretty clear that Clint was in trouble. The men in the room must have surprised him — he hadn't called her on the comm — and a couple of them were all but sitting on him to try to keep him pinned, despite the fact that he was doing his level best to make their job as miserable as possible. He twisted to jam his elbow into one guy's side and swore at him —and that was the guard that Natasha shot as she rushed in to help.

Clint shot her a crooked grin that was reserved for exactly this kind of thing — the two of them against rough odds — as he managed to push the now-dead guard off of him, though the second guy tried for a tackle, making it hard for Natasha to get an open shot as she instead turned her attention to the other players in the game.

There were only about half a dozen of them — to start. And really, the only reason they'd been able to get the drop on Clint was the fact that neither he nor Natasha had known there was a connecting passage into that particular office. So by the time Natasha had dropped three more of them and Clint had managed to twist out from underneath his second would-be attacker, the fight was going much more to their usual advantage.

It wasn't going to last, of course. There were reinforcements coming in for Fisk's men from both the hallway and the adjoining passage — so once the first six men were down, Clint and Natasha shared a look and a silent nod and made a rush for the door, not surprised to find men blocking their path but intending to push through all of them anyway.

And had this been a simple snatch attempt, that strategy would absolutely have worked. The problem was that neither of them had expected one of the men that Natasha moved against to take down to simply draw his gun and shoot her.

Natasha was shocked — and Clint was downright upset. He forgot for the moment about fighting through the men to get out and instead switched directions to get to her with a half-shouted "Nat!" that seemed to surprise her as she sank to her knees — before she switched gears and got upset instead, realizing that this meant they were after Clint specifically.

Without backup and quickly getting more outnumbered by the minute, it wasn't long, then, before Clint found himself in a position frustratingly similar to the one Natasha had found him in — three guys on him to get him restrained despite how hard he was fighting to get to Natasha. Someone grabbed his arms to drag him back — he couldn't see Natasha — and then he found himself in that passage. The door slammed shut, so he had no idea where she was or if they'd decided to finish her off.

He was panicking and fighting them hard enough that, eventually, one of the guys just knocked him out — so he had no idea how long it had been since the fight when he woke up a while later in a moving car. It was light enough to be morning, so it had been a while.

He managed to push himself up on his elbows to look out the window — though one of the goons in the front seat pushed him back down on seeing that he was awake. Still, it had been quick enough to see that they were somewhere in the Capitol; so they'd moved districts while he was out. It wasn't the center of the Capitol, more residential, and lesser used since the war — though that didn't exactly narrow it down.

While he'd been out, someone had done a little better job of tying him up, too — not the hastily-done stuff from before that he could have gotten past given five minutes of inattention from the guards but tight ropes that dug into his wrists and ankles. Not to mention the … yeah, Clint was pretty sure it was someone's tie that he had shoved in his mouth and tied around his face. It tasted like creep.

They pulled around behind a taller building — it cast a deeper shadow over the car — before they came to a stop and had to drag Clint out and into the condemned apartment complex. The elevators were still working, though, so it couldn't have been _that_ 'condemned', Clint thought as they got in and one of the guys punched the 'lower level' button and Clint did his best to be as obnoxious as possible as they tried to manhandle him out.

At that point, he wasn't even surprised to find Norman Osborn there at the center of the whole thing, just standing there looking smug as Fisk's (or maybe they were Norman's — Clint was losing track) men dragged him into the repurposed office space. Tired of having to prop him up between them, they dropped him into the chair there, putting heavy hands on his shoulders while Clint was sure to give Norman the deepest glare he could muster.

Clint was sure this was Norman's cue to gloat — and frustrated he couldn't beat the guy to it with a witty _something_ first — so he just wasn't expecting it when Norman, apparently still distracted by something on his tablet, glanced up at Clint and simply let out a noise of annoyance. "I really could have done without the trouble of covering up that girl's death. It's just a whole extra set of problems I don't have time for right now."

When Clint's response was just to glare deeper, Norman shrugged at him, seemingly unbothered. "You see, Mr. Barton, I've been reliably informed that it simply isn't as effective to take a mind that's already been molded and try again — too much previous damage. And as you've made clear, showing leniency to anyone incidental to my plans just makes for more witnesses. If you'd simply come alone, without Miss Romanoff, I wouldn't need to go to such lengths."

Clint tried not to show the panic at that, tightening his glare instead. He remembered what Pete had said about Osborn's tricks — though this one was, frankly, a little more believable. He'd seen Natasha go down, and the truth of it was that they _didn't_ need her alive. They'd have a heck of a time keeping her down and out, but shot and outnumbered — that was about the only way they _could_ take Natasha on.

Norman was silent for a good long time, still working on whatever it was — arrangements about Natasha; Clint wasn't sure — before he finally looked up at Clint again. "Now then," he said as he set aside the tablet at last. "You, Mr. Barton, are going to help me clean up the mess you made."

* * *

 _District One_

* * *

The jump out the window hadn't exactly been one of Natasha's most graceful moments, but even she knew the basic principles of Clint's grappling arrow, even if it _had_ spit her out into a dumpster, of all places. She was starting to suspect there was some kind of magnetic pull between the grappling arrow set and these things.

She lay still for a long moment, not only listening to the rapport of gunfire above her head as Fisk's men tried to find and finish her but also simply trying to get a handle on herself after a fall like that. She had taken a pretty bad shot to the stomach, and then falling a few stories, even slowed by the rope, hadn't done her any favors.

She only allowed herself the one moment, though, already hitting the distress of her comm that every one of them had as she waited for the men to pass — then outright calling for backup as she gingerly, carefully, tried to pull herself up and out, managing it on the second try and wincing through the whole motion. "Mayday," she said through gritted teeth as her back hit the brick and she slid down.

"Where are you?" Skye asked when she was the one to pick up on the other end. "And how much help do you need? Medical? Backup? A ride?"

"Yes," Natasha said, trying and failing to get up again before she finally decided to just sit down and try to at least get the bleeding under control.

"Is your aircraft damaged or … what happened?"

"I've been shot. Clint's gone; I didn't see where," Natasha said.

"Two pilots and a bodyguard for each of you. Got it," Skye replied. "Just turn on your beacon. The upgrades to the jets should have them to you in no time. You can tell me about it while you wait. Just ... don't go to sleep on me." Skye turned to Tony and flipped off her mic. "Keep her going. I'll get her a team."

Skye abandoned Tony as he started _gently_ teasing Natasha on losing her Hawk — though he agreed it was absolutely a temporary situation. She made her way into the living room area where many of the kids liked to gather — and she was relieved to see some of her top picks there.

"Scott, Ororo, I need you two to do me a favor. Well, two favors," Skye said. "Natasha needs a ride — and someone to fly her plane back. Take Clara with, please, Scott. She's been injured. And it sounded like they hit a pretty nasty group, so if you could maybe bring Luke too?"

Both Scott and Ororo were already getting to their feet, and Scott nodded. "Of course, yeah," he said quickly.

"Where are they?" Ororo asked.

"District One," she said. "The beacon on Natasha is on; it should lead you right to her. She's talking to Tony too, so we know she isn't going to pass out."

"What were they doing in One?" Ororo asked as Scott rushed off to go get Clara and Luke.

Skye let out a heavy sigh as she and Ororo headed to where the very small group of jets were stashed. "Honestly, they shouldn't have gone. They went looking for hard evidence against Osborn where Tony said he and Kate were held … but it was kind of unnecessary. We've almost got it replicated already."

"Well, replications ... I can almost see the logic," Ororo said, trying to give the two lunatics the benefit of the doubt. "Osborn could just say you made it up."

"Yeah, I get it. I do. But still."

"Yeah, they shouldn't have gone. But the two of them together are impossible to stop — usually," Ororo added with a little frown. "So what happened?"

"Sounds like they got ambushed," Skye admitted. "And Nat is hot about it. Clint is gone, she's been shot … it's a mess ... And you and Scott are probably our best pilots."

Ororo looked pleased at the compliment, but it didn't shift the alarmed, "Clint is gone?" that followed that statement. "Dead or missing?"

"Yeah, I'm … I am pretty sure that it's just missing. But I'm on it. Looking for chatter right now." Skye shook her head. "But … keep it quiet for now, or our resident hotheads will be right out there pushing buttons. And we _don't_ need Osborn saying that they're 'foreign agents' — and you know he would."

"It's not going to be very quiet once Natasha gets her feet back under her, especially if Clint is still gone," Ororo pointed out.

"I think you're underestimating how nasty she can be when she wants to," Skye said.

"Oh no, I'm not. She'll tear the world apart, I'm sure. But I doubt she'll be quiet about how mad she is." Something twinkled in Ororo's eyes as she added. "Especially if he's not there to see it."

"Totally different story, yeah," Skye agreed. "Just be careful. Please."

"Don't worry," Ororo assured her. "With a little luck, we'll have both of them here safe and sound so you can give them your best impression of an irate SHIELD director for getting in trouble like that."

"Yeah, I'm hoping to not have to impersonate anything like that anytime soon."

"That's not what Logan says," she teased. "You need the practice for your future title."

"Don't start; he's got more than enough people on his side for that," Skye laughed.

"Then you're not planning on running things?" Ororo asked, one eyebrow arched up.

"Well, I'm not planning on saying he's right …"

"And that's totally different," Ororo laughed before they got to the jet and she climbed in. "Tell Tony to let us know if Nat stops talking to him. I'm going to fly as fast as possible, but I'd still like to know."

"Will do," she agreed.

By the time Ororo had the pre-flight finished and was ready to take off, the rest of the group burst outside as well, ready for a fight — with Clara leading with her bag slung over her shoulder. Ororo got them in the air the second the other three set foot in the jet, and she punched it — hard and fast.

They were about twenty minutes out from the district when Tony radioed in to let them know that Natasha was dropping off — so by the time Ororo got them remotely close to a landing strip, all three passengers hopped off while she hovered and then let her find a better landing spot while they went into the district proper, since there wasn't anything in the main strip of buildings and businesses that Fisk didn't control.

They had come in expecting trouble, so they weren't entirely surprised to see a stronger than usual concentration of guys doing a terrible impression of people who weren't carrying guns, though they kept to the shadows and alleys as much as possible to avoid drawing attention - especially since Natasha had been silent for a while now.

The beacon was still active, and they found Natasha not far from the dumpster where she had fallen in the first place — thankfully, it seemed Fisk's men thought that was as unlikely a place to find the Black Widow as ever. Clara immediately rushed over to assess Natasha and get her in a condition that was safe to move, biting her lip and frowning to herself over the whole thing.

"I got her," Luke offered once Clara had even slightly stepped back, scooping Natasha up like she weighed nothing and rearranging her tighter to his chest.

The little blonde looked around the alley with a frown, almost daring someone to come out of the shadows, before she simply followed Luke and Natasha back to the plane. "Is Scott at the other plane yet?" Clara asked.

"Just got here," Scott said over the comm. "There's a few guys, but nothing big. I'll radio when I'm ready to take off."

"If you need backup," Luke said, "I'm pretty sure the girls are all squared away."

"If I'm not through here by the time you get the girls in the jet, sure — but there's not too many," Scott promised. "I'll radio if any backup comes in for their side."

But, it turned out that Scott was perfectly fine — just as he'd said — though Clara didn't relax until he'd reported that he was in the air. Ororo lifted off shortly after, following for a moment until they were out of One's airspace before she leapfrogged over him and shot off toward Seven.

"When are you two getting married again?" Luke asked Clara as she looked over Natasha a little closer now that they were out of One.

"You'll be invited; don't worry," Clara said distractedly as she started an IV on Natasha.

"I'm just saying: if you're going to be this testy, just marry him and be done with it.

She glared up at him for just a moment. "I haven't been out on many missions lately, alright? I usually mop up the mess with Dr. McCoy."

Luke held up a hand with a smirk. "Hey, it's not a bad thing. I'm just sayin'."

"Yeah. I know what you're 'just saying'," Clara said. "You'd have to ask Heather the date. I'm sure she's pushing too."

"Mmhmm," Luke said with that same smirk as he leaned back, and she just had to roll her eyes at him.

She barely looked up before she socked him in the arm. "Go … do something useful. Like … bring me a bottle of water."

"Sure, sure," Luke said, still grinning as he got up to do that, though he did get a little more serious as he watched Clara work. "What's the damage, anyhow?" he asked quietly.

"Honestly … it's hard to say without the diagnostics," Clara said as she blew her bangs out of her face. "But I don't think they hit anything vital. From the look of it — and judging by how long it took for her to pass out? — it's probably a combination of shock and blood loss."

"Can't help the shock to have lost her partner," Luke said with a small frown. "We know anything on him yet? Skye say anything?" he called over to Ororo in a slightly louder tone.

"She's still searching for his beacon," Ororo called back. "He didn't have it turned on, and she's trying to do it remotely."

"Yeah, well, if we get a hit, drop me off," Luke said. "I didn't get to get a hit in last time, and this guy is pissing me off."

"I'm sure you'll have a shot," Ororo said before she dropped her voice lower. "It seems like everyone's getting a turn with this guy."

"Yeah, there's a line forming," he had to agree, leaning back and falling into a bit more silence for the duration of the flight back to Seven.

* * *

 _September 21_

 _Howlett Manor_

* * *

When Natasha woke up in District Seven, safe and sound in the manor, the first thing she asked was, "Where is his beacon?"

"We really don't know," Skye said. "I can usually flip them on remotely, but it looks like they probably destroyed it. None of the traffic cams showed anything, so whoever it was had to have left from an underground garage or helicopter."

"Probably underground," Natasha said, already trying to will herself into more alertness as she started to push herself up. "There was a passage leading into the room, which tells me there was a secret exit — and there's no way that man puts a helipad on his roof that close to his plush suite."

"I'm going through blueprints of all the buildings near where you were found," Skye said, "and looking for anything that might match Osborn's vehicles."

"Let me know once you have a hit," Natasha said. "I'll go back myself."

"About that," Skye said, presenting Natasha with a laptop. "I figured you wouldn't be able to just sit here like you need to without something to keep you busy."

Natasha raised an eyebrow Skye's way, her mouth pressed into a thin line. "I don't need to be busy. I need to move forward before Osborn or Fisk has him too long."

"And if you move anywhere before you're healed enough, you're not going to be able to go on any missions to anywhere," Skye reasoned. "I have some of the stuff going — on four different computers. This … if you follow the bookmark … this is a tap right into Osborn's personal email. I'm sure you could find something worthwhile while I am digging through blueprints."

"I need one into Fisk's as well," Natasha said. "That man has dealings with more than just Osborn."

"I'm working on a route into that one — which, believe it or not, is harder to get into than Osborn's. So much for security." Skye had to smirk a bit. "But as soon as I get through, it's yours."

"Good." Natasha opened the laptop but was still meeting Skye's gaze over the top of it. "I don't have to tell you we need to get him fast."

"No, you really don't," she agreed. "Seeing as I'm married to the perpetual damsel in distress."

That got a little smirk out of Natasha. "Yes, well. Clint's a handful as well. If you ever need a hand…"

"I'm good," Skye said with a nod. "But ... we'll get him back."

Natasha let out a little hum as she keyed in the bookmark. "You should know," she said without looking up, "it was targeted. They didn't care about bringing me in — but they sent six after Clint."

"So … I was right to keep the Awesomes and the victors out of it."

Natasha nodded. "You definitely don't want anyone out there that was on the public broadcast against him, anyone who campaigned for Hill…"

Skye blew a breath out and put her hands on her hips. "So that means it'll be about oh … twenty minutes before Logan's pushing to fight back."

"If he finds Clint, I won't complain," Natasha admitted.

"You'd also never hear the end of it," Skye pointed out.

"Skye, I don't need my feelings babied," Natasha said. "I can take the teasing; I know I lost my partner. Tony already let me know. I just want him back."

"I'm not babying; it's called 'reassuring'. Now … heal up so you can take them down and bury them."

"If I'm feeling generous, I may even kill them before I bury them."


	29. Running Errands

**Chapter 29: Running Errands**

* * *

 _September 29_

 _In the Capitol_

* * *

When the squad Clint was with burst into Maria Hill's apartment, it almost seemed like she'd been expecting them, since she didn't react much beyond looking annoyed — she was in the middle of making tea.

"Is this the best that Norman has? A brainwashed ex-Tahiti tribute and … whoever these guys are?" she said as she poured her cup full. "Color me not impressed."

A few of the soldiers had the brains to look insulted, though Clint's expression didn't change. "You're under arrest," he told her in an almost bored tone.

Hill had put some honey into her tea and was stirring it, barely looking up at him. "On what charges?" She glanced up at him almost lazily as she lifted the cup to her lips.

"Election tampering and kidnapping."

"Are you sure he's not mixing up me with him?" she asked conversationally, though she still didn't look like she was worried about any of them in the least.

Clint simply took out his bow in response, watching her. "If you don't come without a fight, I'm authorized to put you on the ground."

"That sounds a little beyond a reasonable response," she replied, still unperturbed.

Clint just shrugged at that and raised the bow, which was fitted with a tranquilizing arrow, giving the order to take her in at the same time he released it and following the arrow with a rush, knowing she wouldn't go down that easily.

Of course, she fought back — starting with throwing her cup of hot tea at Clint as she deflected the tranq into one of her attackers. She landed a side kick on the 'officer' coming up on her left. Her moves were almost textbook out of SHIELD — and it was clear that the force they'd sent weren't prepared for her.

The only one that had been trained by SHIELD was Clint, who got to her in a rush and deflected her first hit before the two of them really got into it — trading blows in a pattern that, if Clint had been really aware of it, he would have said was a lot like sparring with Natasha, though Hill's style was a lot more straightforward and slightly easier to anticipate.

When she threw a punch that he'd seen coming a split second before it happened, he turned and grabbed her arm instead and with the other hand grabbed his second tranq before plunging that one into her arm. He frowned for just a moment when it went in, but when she slowed and then sank down in front of him, he took a slight step back and shouldered his bow, moving out with the men who were already restraining Hill — even unconscious — and headed back to the center of the Capitol to report in.

* * *

 _District Seven_

* * *

In the meantime, Maria Hill — the _real_ Maria Hill — had seen the entire thing go down through the cameras of the Life Model Decoy she'd had since beginning the whole campaign. Fury might have been gone, but he still had some good tips.

Her private transport was stashed outside of the district center, and it was still a few hours before dawn when she made her way up to the house on the hill under cover of darkness. It was overcast, which helped her hide from any passing satellites, and she knew that she'd be able to find some back up if she could just get _into_ the house.

But she wasn't about to go knocking on anyone's front door at four in the morning. So instead, she made her way around the building, frowning to herself the further she walked until the found the back entrance that would allow her into the kitchen. To her surprise, the door was unlocked — but the kitchen was not empty.

"Do you need a _map_ to get around this place?" Hill said in a tone of disbelief.

Both Kate and Skye jumped slightly, both of them holding bowls of ice cream and wrapped up in their conversation until that point. "What are you doing here?" Skye blurted out.

Hill gave her a look that clearly communicated how long of a night she'd had before she wearily made her way over to get a bowl of ice cream of her own and then took a seat across from the two of them. "Avoiding arrest, apparently." She frowned and looked between them as she took a huge spoonful of ice cream. "Why are you awake?"

Skye gestured at her obvious stomach. "Someone isn't sleeping."

"And I get nauseous if I don't eat," Kate added.

"Well that's ... " She took a breath and turned to Skye. "I have a video feed for you to hack into if you're interested. Hawkeye tried to arrest me tonight _while I was making tea_."

Kate straightened up at that, looking wide-eyed. " _You've seen Clint_?" she asked in a nearly desperate whisper.

Skye got up and pushed her ice cream away as she got a tablet from across the kitchen. "What's the feed?" she asked as she stood next to Hill and the former AD started going through the layers on layers of security.

"It's off my LMD," Hill said before she took another bite of ice cream. "Fury's idea — and a good one, too."

Kate was watching over Skye's shoulder as the feed started up of what 'Hill' was seeing. She was in some kind of transport, sitting across from Clint and a few uniformed thugs, though Kate was frowning on seeing her fellow Hawk so… quiet and still.

"If you hit the blue button in the corner, it will record the geographic location as well," Hill said around a spoonful of chocolate. "When the feed goes dead, it will transfer the last 8 hours of video." She tipped her chin up at the two of them. "One of Fury's failsafes."

Kate was half holding her breath as she watched. "What happened?" she asked. "I mean, I know it wasn't you, but ... what happened?"

"My best guess would be that Osborn had him brainwashed," Hill said, unconcerned. "Fortunately, the methods available to him are pretty cut and dried. We've seen it before."

"Fortunately," Kate repeated grumpily, still not pleased in general.

"He'll be back to himself in no time once we get him back," Hill replied.

"He better be," Kate grumbled with her arms crossed over her chest. "I'm getting real tired of people screwing with my boys."

"Well, get used to it," Hill said. "He's got warrants out for all of them."

"Of course he does," Skye grumbled. "Wouldn't want anyone to feel left out."

"Well, I'm sure it's not going to look good with the press — all of the people that opposed him publicly being on a most wanted list," Hill pointed out. "He's already shooting himself in the foot. I know for a fact they have exactly zero proof on any of the charges for the victors and the rest of the kids."

"Yeah, just because he's unpopular doesn't mean a thing if he's screwing with my best friend," Kate pointed out. "I really need him out of there, like, yesterday."

"Well, it's early enough," Hill said, looking out the window. "We can start brainstorming as soon as we get Coulson here."

Kate looked toward Skye, who quickly nodded. "Yeah, yeah, I'm on it. Calling up the DC."

"I don't suppose that there's an open room I could take up a little space in?" Hill said, finally turning to Kate again.

"Yeah, there's a few bedrooms that haven't been claimed — and I'm sure Logan can find you a place to make an office, too," Kate said.

* * *

 _September 30_

 _Howlett Manor_

* * *

The next morning, after Logan came down to get coffee, Hill was down in the kitchen, still fuming over the events of the night before and going over her video feed — which now was just showing the inside of a cell.

When she smelled the coffee, though, she paused what she was doing to steal Logan's and take it back to her seat. "Perfect, thanks."

Logan stared after her for a moment before letting out a sigh and going to get a fresh cup. "Good mornin' and you're welcome." He stopped at the coffee pot and looked up at her. "This isn't gonna be a recurring thing is it?"

"Learn to share, Logan," she said with a smirk over the top of the mug.

"I thought I had," Logan countered before he took the seat right next to her and started to lean her way. "What's the plan, Maria Christina?"

"Well, we have a geographical location for where Norman Osborn would stash one former assistant director. The question we're waiting to have answered is whether or not that's where he _also_ stashed former Tahiti operatives or if I rate a special area." She smirked. "Either way, it's good to know he cares."

"So how do we know for sure? Need someone to cause a ruckus?"

"No, we don't want Clint deployed; we want him contained," Hill said. "If he's there, you know they will still be running 'sessions' to keep him conditioned. One week may be enough to send him to arrest me, but if they want to keep using him…" She shrugged. "We watch for whoever Osborn is using, and we watch for Clint, and if Osborn deploys him in the meantime, we try to tag him and see if he heads in the direction of my beacon before it dies out."

"That's a lot of 'if's," Logan said as he picked up his mug.

"Well if I had something more solid, I would tell you. All my intel has for you is the fact that Clint dropped 'Maria Hill' in a cell and then left. For all I know, he went to a completely different base — and we don't want to tip our hand on this source of intel if we don't have to."

"You know where I am," Logan said, leaning back in his chair. "And you know that the last thing I'll do is let them _catch_ me."

"Though I'd like to see them try," Hill agreed with a little smile.

Logan nodded his head in agreement and got to his feet, sure to take Hill's cup with him to refill as some of the others filtered into the dining room.

Natasha was the one to flip on the news as she came downstairs — at this point listening for even the remote possibility that Norman might mention something that would give them a leg to stand on with where to find Clint, since she didn't know about Hill yet. But when she did see the former assistant director, she raised both eyebrows high, and the two women fell almost immediately into hushed conversation as Hill caught her up on the events of the previous night.

Logan returned a short while later and set Hill's coffee down before taking his seat again, frowning for a moment at the broadcast. It started out with just the usual morning news update, with one of the anchors announcing a breaking news update in the investigation into the election and the arrest of Maria Hill, who apparently was being accused of orchestrating the entire 'false' election tampering in order to 'steal' the election from Osborn, going so far as to get the kids involved and kidnap them, convincing them it was Osborn's doing ... or so the report went.

"Buncha windbag trash," Logan muttered, turning to the feed on the tablet instead. "Watchin' the cell wall's more riveting than that tripe."

Hill had to smirk at the sentiment and nod her agreement, though they let the newscast play on, not paying it much heed until Peter and Gwen arrived at about the same time the anchor introduced the 'expert' to speak on the arrest — and Clint came on wearing a new suit and tie to explain how the arrest had gone.

"After the president invited us to be part of the investigation, I thought I'd take him up on it," Clint said, nodding politely along to the anchor's questions. "I thought it was a bluff, but as it turns out, the whole thing was a setup. When I found out, of course I wanted to be part of the team to arrest the woman who kidnapped my friends. I wasn't going to let her get away with it."

"Doesn't even sound like himself," Logan muttered, thinking to himself that whoever had worked Clint over had done a half-assed job at best. Not that he was sorry to hear it. Half-assed should be easier to fix than the full-on disaster he'd come back from.

"Or look like himself," Kate pointed out softly from the doorway where she and Kurt had paused on seeing what was going on. When a few of the others looked her way, she shrugged. "Have you ever seen him tie a tie?"

"The girl makes a fine point," Logan agreed. "His hair's too neat too."

"And he hasn't made a single joke," Peter said. "Not even a small one. I mean, you can't have a Hawkeye _that_ serious for _that_ long and not know something's up."

Logan nodded. "So, aside from screwin' up his image—"

"It's good PR," Hill said with a small glare. "Clint and Tony were the biggest rallying cry on the accusations, and he doesn't have Tony, so… he's got one of the loudest voices in the room singing his praises. It's a public backtrack and apology."

At that, Natasha fell into a similar glare and glanced over at Logan. "So," she said, "when can we leave?"

"Let Jubes pull out a suit and I can be ready before you know it," Logan agreed. "Play distraction while you put a sack over his head?"

"Who's the sack for? Cuz I know Nat's going to have something a little different in mind for Clint," Skye teased Logan in an undertone.

"Well if she thinks that's how to get him back to his right mind, I'll take it so I don't gotta witness it."

"There's a joke to be made somewhere about true love's kiss, but it's too early to make it," Skye chuckled.

"And I was decidedly not thinkin' fairy tales," Logan muttered back with a smirk.

Skye laughed at that and leaned over to steal a kiss. "I think it went over my head. You'll have to show me sometime."

"One of us'll need to be rescued first …"

She chuckled. "Says you. We can skip to the reunion part."

"Where's the fun in that? Miss out on all the action ..."

Hill leaned forward, rubbing her temples. "Is it like this all the time?" she asked no one in particular.

"My house, my rules. Deal with it, princess."

"Then we're agreed," Natasha broke in before Hill could say anything. "As soon as we have a location on Clint, we run for it."

Logan nodded once and lifted his mug slightly her way, going back to Hill's tablet and settling in so Skye could lean on him a little easier. But before Natasha could get up to head off to get ready for their self-appointed mission, the _other_ half of Osborn's surprise went live:

His new police force announced the warrants that were now active on what amounted to all the victors that had spoken out publicly against Osborn — as well as the Tahiti kids that had done the same.

…. _of course, we'd also like to talk with the rest of the children that had been put through the so-called 'Tahiti' process. It's entirely possible that indoctrination to SHIELD was a mandatory part of their process. We would like to evaluate_ all _of them..._

Osborn's voice continued to drone on — as if he was still on the election trail — as a marked silence fell over the dining room.

"Yeah, okay, nevermind. _You_ are not going anywhere near that nutbag," Skye said, poking Logan in the chest.

…. _Furthermore, since several of the districts have chosen to become their own sovereign nations, Marvel's airspace will be officially closed to any foreign craft without official permission. It's not that these outsiders won't be allowed to travel, but they will need to identify themselves and the people on board before crossing our borders…._

"We'll tell them we're delivering flowers. Condolences for his lost presidency," Peter quipped.

"Except, of course, for the part where you're not supposed to be there," Hill said dryly. "And seeing as they have lists of all the residents of this district? It's a fairly rotten way to keep people where he thinks they belong."

"And a crummy way to try to keep us out when he's just put my best friend on display," Kate grumped.

"Gotta be a way around it," Logan said. "Like … maybe push Stark to finish that stealth tech he was braggin' about."

"And blatantly break Osborn's laws," Skye said more than asked as she shook her head. "That is just _asking_ to be shot down."

"So we don't fly," Natasha said. "There are other ways, and I'm _sure_ Osborn doesn't know the paths I know."

"She'd walk barefoot the whole way there if she had to," Kate muttered to Kurt, who didn't say anything, since he had very little room to judge. He'd been saying more or less the same thing just a little while ago about wanting another Hawkeye back.

"Pretty sure the two of us can steal something a little quicker than barefoot," Logan insisted. "Just a matter of what's available."

"No horseback for the shining knights?" Wade asked, entirely seriously.

"I was thinking something with a little more iron," Logan admitted. "But probably be too obvious with a whole motorcycle gang."

"I think Tony's pretty close with that stealth tech," Kamala offered helpfully. "He's on five mugs of coffee that have been left untouched… which usually means he's coming to a point."

"Is that the point where you have to forcibly throw him outside and hose him off?" Skye teased. "Because that is certainly a point that I don't like to walk in on. Ever."

"We leave that to Pepper," Kamala said. "She usually gets notes from the rest of us lab rats."

"That they can't breathe," Skye said in a low tone.

"More or less," Kate chuckled just as low.

"The point," Hill said, reasserting her control of the conversation as best she could. "Is that no one is going anywhere right now without a good plan to get in — and a _solid_ extraction plan."

"So just grabbing my idiot partner and shooting everything between here and there isn't an option?" Natasha asked with one eyebrow raised.

"That sounds like a perfectly acceptable plan to me," Logan said with a nod.

"See?" Natasha gestured Logan's way.

Hill gave them both her most dry expression. "No. You'll need a little bit more than that."

"I can slice 'em up too," Logan said. "Is that enough?"

Hill raised one eyebrow even higher than before. "I'm sure between the two of you, you can come up with something better," she pointed out. "And in the meantime, we'll keep an eye out for visual confirmation of where Barton even _is_."

Logan and Natasha shared a look and both started signing back and forth, nodding or shaking their heads as one idea after another was tossed or kept. All the way up until Hill reached over and covered Logan's hands with hers. "Stop. It," she said as seriously as she was able.

Logan let out a little noise and pulled his hands away to sign behind Hill's back. "I don't listen to you for that," he told her. "That's May's voice … and you are no Agent May."

Hill shot him a little glare for that one before she shook her head. "Whenever you're ready to stop behaving like children," she said as she stood up, "I'm going to be in my office. I'll take any plans you've got. No idea is too stupid… considering."

"You mean except for the part where we _tell you_ ," Logan pointed out. "You're gonna want plausible deniability, should-be-Madame President."

"I'm currently in jail for kidnapping and election tampering," she pointed out. "Technically, I can't hear any of this right now."

"Unless they figure out your robot isn't really you," Skye replied.

"By that time, optimistically, it won't matter anyway," Hill said, waving her hand as she headed for the door.

"Can I just go kill Osborn on the evening news and say that I was under Hydra control?" Logan asked lazily.

"No," Hill said, not even looking his way as she left, though she was smirking at the sentiment.

"Morning news?"

"No," she called over her shoulder.

With Hill gone, Natasha reached over a put a hand on Logan's arm with a fire in her eyes. "Come on," she said, tipping her head toward the door. "We will find him ourselves."

"Let me find a location first," Skye offered. "She's been running net programs to scan for him. I'll bet I can narrow it down while Tony works on stealth."

"Work fast," Natasha told her.

"On it," Skye replied, standing up and heading off to her room where her fastest processors were.


	30. Hello Again, Whitehall

**Chapter 30: Hello Again, Whitehall**

* * *

 _October 3_

 _District Twelve_

* * *

Although Twelve hadn't gone so far as to declare independence from Marvel itself, it was also certainly true that the district was more or less functioning as its own entity, though it was more of a haven then a country, with Inhumans flocking there to live in relative peace, away from the stares and the painful reminders of what life under the Capitol had done to them.

Black Bolt hadn't asked to become the King of the Inhumans when the Capitol gave him that nickname, nor had he asked so many of the misfits of Marvel to come to his home district, but here he was, rebuilding it alongside his wife, more or less trying to ignore the edicts coming down from the Capitol while Osborn was having his little tantrum.

He had other things to concern himself with, like the coming winter and the very real need for solid housing and warmth for so many of the people who had placed themselves in his care.

Still, he somehow wasn't surprised when an official-looking craft landed in the middle of his district, and he was only marginally surprised to see that one of the Tahiti children had been sent with the group of them.

He almost laughed. Of course it was the one who was deaf. Heaven forbid he be unable to communicate with the people who wanted to imprison him. It was almost thoughtful, something he had never before accused Norman of being.

"You're under arrest," the blonde archer told him with a bored tone that didn't match the situation at all.

Black Bolt frowned at the young man before he signed out, _Why?_

Clint stared at Black Bolt's hands for a long time, something whirring just behind his gaze before he carefully signed, _Don't know_.

Black Bolt almost smiled at the honesty — it was refreshing — though one of the men who had come to arrest him prodded Clint with the butt of a rifle and a muttered, "Share with the rest of us, boy."

As Black Bolt watched, the young man seemed to stiffen and wince before his response. "He wants to know why."

"And?"

Clint stared at the man, his response slow and measured. "That wasn't in the orders I got."

The man considered Clint for a moment before he nodded and then turned his attention, and his weapon, back to Black Bolt.

Of course, the advantage of having a district full of misfits and Inhumans was that they were unnaturally quiet. Even as Clint took out his bow to draw an arrow to point Black Bolt's way, several of Black Bolt's citizens crept through the coal-dusted streets, ready for a fight. The moment Clint fitted an arrow, over a dozen people filtered into the streets, silent until the moment they attacked the men who had come with Clint.

Even with the official weapons, it was a fairly one-sided battle, to Black Bolt's advantage. He simply had more numbers, not to mention stealth and a familiarity with the environment — though as Black Bolt pulled back to let them work out for themselves what they wanted to do with the officers that had come for him, he noted that it looked like Clint and the man who seemed to be heading up the operation had disappeared.

With a little frown, he headed home. He was going to need to get in touch with Coulson.

* * *

 _October 5_

 _Inside the Blackbird_

* * *

The prototype jet that Tony had put together really was amazing — with stealth capabilities and speed that the other jets couldn't touch — but if he had been expecting a big fanfare, he was sorely mistaken. May just wanted to know that it could do the job, do it well, and get them through Osborn's newer security measures.

"Please," Tony said with a frown. "This is me we're talking about. Of course it can."

"Then I'll fly," May said. "It's time to get moving on this." She was already walking past Tony into the cockpit to give it one more inspection as she spoke. "Tell the team for me — and would you hurry them along? Not that they'll need it."

"You know, _they_ are the reason that I had it all prepped and ready to go right now," Tony said. "They're already on the way."

"Of course they are," May said, settling into the pilot's seat.

May didn't have long to wait before the kids that made up the team got on the jet, all of them frowning a bit when they saw pilot seat was already taken.

"Hey, Wade, you still wanna copilot?" Logan asked before he could step in the hatch.

"Yes, please!" Wade sang out, though he stopped for just a moment before positively skipping up to the cockpit. "Mama May! Fancy seeing you here!"

May raised an eyebrow his way. "I thought you all knew I was coming on this."

"Well, not all of us," Wade said, turning her way and resting his chin on the palms of his hands. "You're pretty."

May continued her prep. "Yes," she said before she directed his attention to the matter of piloting. "If you're going to stay, be useful. Tony has those stealth panels installed, and I need you to monitor them."

"Can I push the buttons? I like pushing buttons. And pulling levers. And making lights flash."

May very nearly rolled her eyes as she got them in the air. "I know you know how to pilot, Wade. You can monitor the panels."

"But I really like pushing buttons."

"Wade." She gave him a look.

"May." He gave her a look in return, but it was certainly a lot goofier than the one she'd used his way.

"Just focus, please. I need to know we're sneaking under Osborn's radar, and I need to know when we get past his security checkpoints so we can hit the ground running. And if you can't do that, I need a different copilot."

"Oh, that's … well that's just not gonna happen, Mama May," Wade said. "The rest of them are all back there going over something called 'strategy'. You're stuck with me."

"Then focus, please," she said with a heavy sigh.

Wade gave her a salute and dramatically turned to face forward, but that only really lasted all of about ten seconds before he started singing.

"At least sing something classier," she said after a moment.

"You have a request?" Wade asked, eyebrows high and a look of pure shock on his face. "Is … is Eminem _not_ considered classy in your neck of the woods? What about 'Rumpshaker' or … or … 'Baby Got Back'?"

"Just… why don't you sing something a little less… try something softer."

He turned to look her way with a thoughtful expression on his face before he held his hands up and seemed to be sizing her up — and started to sing very quietly a familiar tune that she couldn't quite place until he started really getting into the chorus that held some ridiculous falsettos as he sang about his tiny dancer.

She let out a long sigh of long-suffering as she kept her gaze forward. Well, she _had_ asked for something softer. She was sure Skye was having the time of her life back at the manor, with Kate in the radio room laughing at the situation, too.

Still, the singing did let up a little when they got to the border between Seven and the rest of Marvel, and May did trust Stark's inventions to do their jobs — but she couldn't help holding her breath for a long moment until they passed through undetected.

 _If you're in doubt, Stark says to take it up to 80,000 feet,_ Skye said over the comms.

May nodded at that and began climbing — just to play it on the safe side. "Any chatter from Osborn's end?" she asked. "We're not seeing anything here."

 _About you guys? No. There's a patrol that will be headed toward Seven's border_ — _but Coulson set up anti-aircraft to deal with them bothering the independent districts._

"Let me know if that turns south," she said. "And tell Coulson. You know he'll send an army if it looks like the manor and Seven are in jeopardy."

 _Believe me: he's got squadrons waiting to deploy, and he's on the other line waiting. Just take care of yourselves. We have secret passages and a bomb shelter if it all goes really south._

"I'll check in when we've got Hawkeye," May said with a nod. "Stay safe."

 _We'll be watching._

May leaned back and shook her head slightly at the response. Of course Stark had installed cameras — just in case.

" _You think they wanna see a full moon?_ " Wade whispered.

"No," May replied shortly. "And neither do I."

"You're no fun," Wade complained.

"I've never been accused of being fun," she replied easily. "You must have me confused with Director Dad."

"Well, seeing as you're like so totally practically very nearly a thing …"

"That's not what's happening here, Wade," she said in the tired tone of someone who had said it too many times.

"Methinks the lady doth protest too much," Wade said in his best District Four impression. "Search thine heart; you know it to be true."

"Right." She shook her head at him. "Wade, we don't have time for this," she said as she tapped the screen in front of him. "We're in enemy airspace. _Pay attention_."

"Alright, alright, don't get your holster in a wad," Wade muttered. "This is why no one in SHIELD wants to be in SHIELD. As soon as they get an official badge, they lose their sense of humor and enter a no-smiling contest."

"Take it up with the director," May said with a small smirk.

" _She_ has a sense of humor. So far," Wade said sullenly.

May shook her head at that, not about to argue the point, and turned her attention back to flying while Logan and Kurt chatted quietly in the back of the plane about how to get in and out with Clint — and just what exactly they were going to do if they ran into Osborn himself 'accidentally' while they were there, too.

Finally, though, May set them down in the outskirts of the Capitol and turned to the three young men with one eyebrow raised. "I'll be ready to leave the second you get back. Do _not_ stay here longer than necessary," she said, directing the comment more at Logan than anything else.

"Why you lookin' at me? I'm the one with the clean record of getting the job done and getting out fast," Logan said her way with a frown as he finished prepping.

"You're also the one with the record of playing with people who ... admittedly deserve it," she pointed out. "Don't. Just get in, get Clint, get out, and if you see Osborn, just shoot him, alright?"

"I only _play_ with creeps when I'm alone with no one to traumatize," Logan pointed out.

"And it takes next to no time to stab him anyway," Kurt said, hands on his swords. "We'll be back in no time."

The two boys gave her a look as if she was really being a bit too over-protective before they pulled their masks down and led the charge — ready to get it over with.

The path into the building where Clint was supposed to be, based on Hill's LMD data, was almost eerily clear. They didn't get far into it before Logan was straight up getting creeped, though he didn't voice his opinion on the matter. Particularly when he knew how keyed up Natasha was over the whole thing. He was also keeping in mind the fact that he knew how they _forced_ their outlooks on people, and promise to be quick or not, if they happened to walk in on an active "session" on Clint, he was going to take his sweet time cutting the jackass in charge of it to ribbons.

Still, he had to pause when it was Wade that spoke up. "Anyone else get the feeling that this … is not a good thing?" Wade asked quietly. "Because I have some serious creepy crawlies right now."

"Not now, Wade," Logan said irritably. "We came here for a reason, and we're not leaving until we do what we came here for."

"Actually, you're not leaving at all," Osborn's voice echoed through the halls as the lights came up, suddenly, blindingly bright in their eyes, while Osborn's men filed in around them.

At Osborn's command, the men rushed forward — and so did the kids, who were itching to let off a little steam. Natasha in particular was vicious about the way she blasted through the men, sure to give Osborn a glare from across the room that seemed to say 'you're next' with each shot.

Logan tried to stick to fists and guns and avoid the claws all together — even if he was pretty darn sure that he'd been made. It's not like there were too many people running around at his size _and_ built like him. But that didn't mean he had to make it easier to finger him by using the claws — though with Wade doing his one-of-a-kind katana wield and Kurt dancing through Osborn's men, it was fairly obvious who had come even with the masks on.

The group as a whole was dealing out solid damage, but Osborn's men kept coming, and there was no sign of Clint among them. "Keep your eyes open," Logan called out — more to Wade and Kurt than to Natasha, who clearly had a one-track mind and was punishing the opposition just for being there. No. For keeping Clint away from her.

But it seemed that the Osborn's built-up police force already had orders in place . A group of them mobbed Logan from behind and grabbed his arms — though once he was even halfway subdued, instead of arresting him outright, or wrestling him to the ground, they started by pulling off his mask, which only got a delighted clap and some high praise from Osborn.

With a growl, Logan threw them off and started fighting harder — though it was pretty clear his concentration was shot from how excited Osborn was to see him.

The operative that pulled Wade's mask only did so by jumping on his back and pulling both Wade and himself over backward as Wade tried to fight removing the mask all together. "Augh! They got me!" he shouted, though his attacker did not, in fact have him.

As Kurt turned toward Wade in alarm and deflected one of the soldier's guns, one ran up behind him and hauled off his hood as well. It didn't do much to actually _stop_ the Elf from cutting him across the middle for the offense — but it did let Norman positively ID another without a doubt.

Natasha's focus shifted quickly to hyper awareness once the boys had been unmasked — but even that wasn't enough to avoid it entirely, and she let out a frustrated cry when she too lost her mask — though the man that did it was rewarded for his troubles with a broken nose and a collapsed windpipe.

The group was still swinging when the order went out. "Capture, not kill," Osborn said. "We can use the men once they get a little tune up. Try not to do anything that will show on camera."

Natasha spun his way and fired two shots that missed him by such a fine margin that it was clear that the president was not going to be appearing on camera himself without a very serious comb over to cover the path of hair that had been sheared off by the passing bullet.

When Logan looked up toward Norman, he sucked in a quick breath on seeing the bespectacled man standing behind Osborn's shoulder. He froze for just a moment at the pleased expression on Whitehall's face... before he went into high gear, fighting hard and incredibly efficiently, taking out one officer after another. He was _not_ about to be captured _alive_ and handed over to Whitehall _again._

Logan was making good headway — and had started heading toward Kurt, determined to make sure that he too wouldn't fall under Whitehall's spell — when the twang of a bowstring echoed the room and Logan let out a shouted curse that made it clear that he'd been hit. He spun on the spot and made it all of a few steps before a second arrow hit its mark, leaving Logan practically a standing zombie. Another twang and he was wrapped up in netting before he hit the ground, unconscious.

Wade was closest to Logan when he went down and heard Kurt shouting instructions to "get him _out_ ," so with a complicated little twirl, he sliced through two guys and headed for Logan, ducking seconds after a _twang_ echoed and alerted him to the arrows that would have stuck him if he hadn't moved.

Natasha let out a noise that was pure frustration when she saw Clint easily fitting arrow after arrow to shoot at the group of them — though not, she noted, at her. It was enough of an opening that she could lob a flashbang his way to get the arrows to _stop_ , but not quite enough to get her _to_ him with as many people as there were in the way, not to mention the fact that Logan needed to get _out_.

So with Clint temporarily blinded by the flashbamg, Wade seized Logan, dragged the net off of him, and hoisted him up with an exaggerated noise and a muttered, "It's a really good thing more of you isn't metal."

Natasha kept up the cover fire along with Kurt as Wade hauled Logan out. When it was clear that the forces following them were getting thicker, she lobbed all of her grenades their way — and not just the flash bangs. After the first frag grenade went off and took out a few of them, they backed off substantially, and she finally got around to calling May on her comm.

"We need to leave _fast_ ," she told her. The three of them still running for all they were worth.

"I can get us in the air as soon as you get here — or do you need backup where you are?" May replied, already sounding concerned.

"No," Natasha shouted. "We're almost there — just make sure the hatch is open."

"Do you have what you came for?" May asked.

"No," she ground out through gritted teeth. "It was a trap."

There was a pause on the other end before May said, "I've got the hatch open. Whenever you're ready."

She didn't answer May, and they were only another minute or two out, so when they got there, May had only to keep out of the way and start the vertical lift-off as soon as Natasha had one foot in the door and the others were more or less collapsed on the floor.

"It's going to be rough getting back out again," she told Natasha. "Make sure Logan's strapped in, and be ready for a rough ride."

Natasha simply nodded at that and got into the copilot seat. "What else is new."

* * *

 _Howlett Manor_

* * *

A little while after the team had landed in the Capitol, everything had gone dark, and for the past hour or so, Skye and Tony had been scrambling trying to get it back. Tony was swearing up a blue streak as he muttered about how he had purposefully built cameras and other failsafes into the plane for just this kind of thing, while Skye was muttering about blackout devices — and Kate was just watching with wide eyes and baited breath to hear about whether or not the team was even going to _make_ it back.

In fact, the only intel they _were_ getting was from the feed Skye had hacked in the Capitol, though that wasn't helping Kate's nerves either, and Skye had already thrown her left shoe at the monitor when they announced that some of the "Tahiti program children" had been arrested.

"Maybe they're just gloating prematurely," Kate muttered half under her breath after a long several minutes of watching Skye and Tony rush back and forth.

"Then why can't I find _our_ feeds?" Skye muttered back, nearly bashing the keys as she worked faster.

"I don't know, but that's got to be it, because I _don't_ … I don't want to do this without Kurt," Kate said, wide-eyed and with her chin on her knees.

"Hey… if they're too high up, the video feeds won't work," Tony said. "So … maybe they're over 80,000 feet."

Kate glanced up at Tony and tried to pull back her panic. "Right. Maybe that's it," she nodded, still watching both him and Skye try to get the feeds back, half an eye on the Capitol reports as they came in.

 _Nothing is confirmed yet, but there are rumors that at least three former Tahiti program members were taken in. None of them are reportedly the Tahiti members who claimed to have been kidnapped by the president's orders, and they are reportedly among the older members, not any of the younger group, such as Miles Morales, one of the children who claimed to have been press-ganged into service._

"That … doesn't sound ... I don't like that station," Skye said with her nose scrunched up.

"We ... we have to find them," Kate said, looking slightly panicked.

"It's just uncorroborated unless we hear it from Trish," Skye decided.

Kate paused but had to nod at that. "Alright, yeah. Trish would give it to us square…" She leaned over to change the channel, where Trish was reporting that there were only _rumors_ and repeatedly maintaining that until arrests were confirmed by the police force, this was not real news and she would be focusing on President Osborn's overtures aggression on the borders with Seven, thank you very much.

Tony and Skye kept working — scrambling, really — to find something new as Kate settled in to watch the reports about Osborn's attempts to force Seven back into the country, though not one resident there had cast a vote either way in the election.

Kate was starting to relax — since Trish wasn't touching the arrests and was instead talking about how the rest of Marvel was _fine_ letting Four, Three, and Seven be self-determined states — when Trish paused and seemed to listen to her earpiece for a moment. The blonde reporter took a small breath before she turned back to the camera.

 _Breaking news update. It has just been confirmed by the president's official police spokesman that two male and one female former tributes were taken into custody today. Their identities have not yet been released, as police want to confirm their identities through bloodwork and other tests. When that happens, their names will be released, along with details of their arrest._

"What about Logan?" Kate asked quietly, glancing toward Skye. "They didn't say a thing about… about any victors."

"Maybe they're saving that for once the DNA comes back," Tony said off handedly. "He really ticked off Osborn; he might not want to say anything until it's already confirmed."

"Or maybe he's still at large and can bust our friends out on the way to breaking Osborn's face," Kate muttered hopefully.

"That would work too," Tony agreed with a little nod, though Skye looked more irritated as she doubled down her efforts.

Kate nodded, watching Trish's broadcast with rapt attention — though not a one of them had expected it when May's voice finally broke through on the comms, all things considered. "We're coming in. Medical for one."

"If we can hear her, we can see her," Skye pointed out before she snapped her fingers Tony's way. " _Do_ something. I'm still … looking."

"Yeah, I got it, I got it," Tony said quickly, his fingers flying over the keys before _finally_ , they got a visual — and to their immense relief, everyone on the team was there. But Clint wasn't, and Logan was unconscious.

"What happened?" Skye asked over the comms.

"It was supposed to be a trap," Natasha replied shortly, and even through the distance of the cameras and comms, they could hear how ticked off she was. "I'm pretty sure Clint was firing tranqs. The orders were to capture, not kill."

"That explains our unconscious Wolverine," Skye muttered to herself.

"We were outnumbered, so we had to retreat, but we're _going back_ as soon as we regroup," Natasha continued with venom in her tone.

"We'll need more intel before you go out," Hill said over Tony's shoulder. "Be ready for a full debrief when you get in."

"You'd better meet us in medical, because as soon as Logan's cleared, we're _gone_."

Hill rolled her eyes. "Yes. I'll meet you in _medical."_ She flipped the mics off after that and let out a sigh.

"She's just a little bit keyed up," Kate supplied unhelpfully.

"Well, if she pushes too hard, she'll find herself tranquilized _in medical_."

"Yeah… don't do that."

"I'd really rather not," Hill admitted. "But I'm not about to lose one of our operatives that already had to deal with brainwashing in the line of duty."

"You know that's half of why she's so upset, though," Kate pointed out. "She's been through it."

"And why she wants Logan to go too," Hill said. "Both of them are a overly sensitive about it."

"It's kind of a fair thing to be sensitive about," Skye pointed out.

"Yes," Hill said in an almost flat tone. "I'm sure it was very traumatic."

"Gee, don't smother them or anything. You're just dripping with honey over here," Kate grumbled.

Hill let out a weary sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose for a moment. "They are professionals. Assassins. Both of them — well, all three of them if you count Barton. It's obviously an occupational hazard."

"Hey, Skye, remind me to tell me best friend to change careers when we get him back," Kate said, though her gaze was on Hill. "Maybe something less dangerous, like lion taming."

"Kate," Hill said. "I don't want them going through it any more than you do. I just think it might be smarter to get someone in there that hasn't been compromised in the past already."

"I'd volunteer, but…" Kate gestured at herself.

"I know," Hill said with what passed for a smile. "We have plenty of operatives that can handle the job. You know that."

"And you know those two will be out there looking no matter who you 'officially' send out," Skye pointed out.

"Unless I can get Barton and the others back before Logan's ready to move," Hill pointed out.

"So, who do you want to send?" Kate asked.

"Believe it or not," Hill said, "Agent Morse has asked to be part of the rescue mission."

Kate and Skye glanced at each other as Tony asked, "Bobbi? But isn't she… you know…? I thought she retired?"

"Beyond the fact that she and Barton have a history? She'd be an impressive choice to go in," Hill said. "She was a top-notch operative and she's also an expert in that particular field. She could start on Barton before they even land. But that on its own would be precisely why Logan and Romanoff do _not_ belong on the team." She gave Kate in particular a look. "After everything that's happened, Logan especially doesn't need to be there when Morse starts working."

"Who are you sending with Bobbi?" Kate asked. "Because I know you're not sending her in there alone."

"Of course not," Hill replied. "I was looking at May, Hunter, and Mack."

Kate glanced at Skye, who looked annoyed as she admitted, "It's a good team."

"And so far, high-ranking SHIELD agents outside of Coulson are not on the arrest warrant list."

"So far," Skye repeated.

The sound of the jet coming in echoed the room as May took the plane right overhead on her way to the landing site. "Yes. So far," Hill said. "And they're ready to move if need be. After I get my debrief. I want to know what went wrong."

"Well for one thing, it was a futzing trap," Kate pointed out as she rushed to be where the action — and Kurt — was, right on Hill's heels. When they got to the jet, Wade was carrying Logan, and Kurt wasn't far behind them, though it looked like May was more or less keeping an eye on an increasingly agitated Natasha.

"Take it to medical, Romanoff," Hill called out. "They have drugs to counteract the tranqs. I want to hear from both of you."

Natasha let out a huff as she jogged to catch up with Wade, looking furious and ready to go right back into the fight as Hank got Logan set up on the counter-drugs in an IV. "It was a trap," she bit out HIll's way as soon as the former AD arrived at the lab. "Osborn had dozens of men there, and Clint — and there was a man there in glasses I didn't recognize, but he wasn't a soldier. He might have been involved in the rest of it." Natasha let out a noise of distaste. "It wouldn't surprise me if he's our man, the way he was grinning when Osborn unmasked us."

While Natasha spoke, Kurt let out a sound of relief as Logan opened his eyes and blinked around the room blearily, looking obviously disoriented the more awake he tried to be.

"Bobbi can fix him," Logan said suddenly. "Just … gotta get him out."

Hill looked honestly surprised as she turned his way. "That's… an interesting endorsement. I'm not saying I disagree..."

"Whitehall was with Osborn," Logan said simply.

Hill's eyebrows shot up, and Natasha swore in Russian for almost a full minute before she turned Logan's way. "That was _Whitehall_?"

Logan nodded quietly. "The creep with the glasses. He's a lot nastier than he looks — at least, if you're restrained."

Natasha's lips were pressed together, and it looked like she was a step away from losing her temper before she took a deep breath and turned to Hill. "When are we going back out?"

Hill let out a slow breath. "We need to know where he's doing his work," Hill admitted.

Natasha let out another little noise in the back of her throat. "Then I'll find it," she said, her gaze on the door out of the lab.

"I've got a few ideas," Logan said. "If you can wait a minute."

"Talk fast," she replied.

"I can't think clear enough yet," Logan replied. "Just gimmie a minute. I know the kinds of places that creep likes to go."

"Good. Give me parameters, and I'll have Clint's position in a second."

"Forget it; I'm going with you."

Natasha smiled almost fondly his way. "Of course."

"I got a few things in mind for that jackass — and _no one_ is going to take that."

Natasha nodded seriously. "You get him; I'll take care of Clint."

"Yeah," Logan agreed, though in his head he was already planning out an alternative escape route so Natasha and Clint could go home while he _took his time._

"I'm not comfortable with just the two of you going," Hill said. "You'll need Morse and one other at the least."

"I've got a pilot in mind," Logan said as he leaned his head back and closed his eyes.

"We'll let you know when we have a position," Natasha said with a sharp nod Hill's way.

Hill frowned Natasha's way as Simmons came by to check Logan over again. He grabbed a hold of her arm and gave her a little smile. "Can you give me the fast track, please?"

Simmons almost smirked his way. "Logan, you are almost always on the fast track as a default rule."

"Yeah, but I know you can give me a little boost so I can get out of your hair."

This time, she broke into a little smile, delighted that he _had_ , in fact, learned from all the times he'd been in medical with her. "I'll see what I can do."

He gave her a genuine smile for that one, knowing exactly how to get her to work faster in his favor. "Please, darlin'. I'd be grateful."


	31. Self-Destruct

**Chapter 31: Self-Destruct**

* * *

 _October 6_

 _Howlett Manor_

* * *

While Logan was recovering, Hill gathered up the rest of the kids that had wanted to help with any emergent rescue missions. Logan had insisted that he had a pilot lined up — that was _not_ Agent Melinda May — so instead, she asked May to join her for the second team going into the Capitol.

Just because it wasn't the group of Tahiti kids that had gone in for Clint that had been captured didn't mean that she wasn't going to push to get them out. There was no reason for them to be held. They'd broken no laws, they hadn't done a thing to lose their freedom, and SHIELD wasn't going to let anyone hold those kids without probable cause more hefty than existing.

Naturally, Wilson and Wagner had insisted on joining in the rescue mission, even before it was announced who it was that Osborn had caught. Her only addition to that team was Peter Quill, who had felt badly that he was unable to do more during the election to help the cause.

"The plan is still the same," Hill said. "Your mission is to go after Barton. We're not entirely sure which of the locations in Oscorp is holding him — or the others — so I want you all to be familiar with what seems to be their capture protocol."

The group as a whole nodded along as Hill spoke, and it wasn't until partway through that Quill felt compelled to raise his hand.

"Yeah, one question? Where exactly are Logan and Romanoff?" Quill said. "Weren't they all… gung-ho on getting Hawkeye back?"

Hill let out a patient breath as she folded her hands in front of her and focused on him. "They are — but they'll be on a different team to access the other position we think that prisoners are being held at this particular location. It's a fairly large compound, and we need to cover it fast and get out just as fast if it's a bust."

"Alright, but who's on that team?" Quill asked.

"Right now? Logan, Romanoff, and Morse."

"I can pilot for them," Quill offered. "They need a pilot."

"Logan said he had someone in mind," Hill said, brushing him off and going back to the plan.

"No offense? But there's nothing but girls on his team. If he gets shot again, he's going to be left behind. Or all of them will be caught. It's not a 'no girls allowed thing," he added quickly. "I mean the guy's heavy for his size."

"I'm sure the pilot he's chosen will be helpful in that," Hill said with a little heat to her tone.

"Don't count on it," Quill muttered half under his breath — though the only one that seemed to have picked it up was Kurt, who was frowning deeply at the commentary.

* * *

As soon as Logan was upright on his own and making positive progress forward, he gave his wife a kiss and headed up the stairs alone, having brushed both the Wagners and Peter Parker off on his way. He had one person he really wanted on this mission, and he knew he needed to be the one to ask.

He raised his hand to knock at the door, though his presence was already known; the wolf on the other side of the door was growling lightly. The corner of his mouth tightened as he tipped his face downward, listening to the footsteps on the other side.

Scott opened the door with a smile caught on his features, then froze as Logan looked up at him with his face still downturned. "Gotta ask you a favor. I hate to break up the fun — and you can say no, of course," Logan said as Ella bounded back to Clara. "But I need a pilot, and you're the only name on my list."

"What's the mission?" Scott asked as he watched Logan.

"We're gonna rescue a few freshly arrested Tahiti kids, and if we can manage it? Clint Barton," Logan told him. "One of the guys that worked me over with Viper's got a hold of him, and he's going to do the same to the others if we don't get them out." He shook his head lightly. "I don't know how much…" He stopped himself and shook his head harder. "We gotta get them out quick."

Scott frowned deeply "Yeah, of course. When do we leave?"

"As soon as you're ready. Hill will do the briefing on our way out," Logan said before he turned to walk away — though Scott was watching him go. "Oh, and Slim ... thanks."

Something like a smirk crossed Scott's face before he nodded and then stepped back into the room — this time to change and get ready.

* * *

Hill's briefing was a quick one, and as they headed to the hangar, the teams split off to their separate planes. Wade and Kurt shared a look as Logan stepped over to the jet with Natasha and Bobbi — and Scott. It was clear that they didn't think that it was a great lineup — at least, not without someone big enough to haul Logan back if Osborn went after him again, and Scott was only piloting.

The two teams were halfway to the planes when Bobbi called for a full stop, waving for them to come back to her. "Since we're not sure who's going to find what, I think you should be prepared for what you _might_ find."

Logan bristled and tapped Scott's shoulder. "You're piloting. You don't need to know this crap. C'mon."

Scott shrugged him off. "Hey, if things go wrong, I'm your backup too."

"It's not gonna _go wrong._ "

"Right, that's what everyone says before things go wrong," Scott said with a dry look.

Bobbi was just waiting … watching the quiet conversation between the two of them before Logan let out a muttered curse and headed to the jet alone, his mood nose diving into flat-out rotten before they could even get their wheels up.

He looked around the jet once he got inside and very nearly growled out his frustration before he decided to just drop into the copilot chair and wait. At least he could count on the fact that once Scott got his earful from Bobbi, he wouldn't be stupid enough to try to _talk_ to him about it.

When Scott did finally drop into the pilot's seat, he looked slightly wide-eyed and shot a sidelong glance Logan's way, but that was the extent of it before he busied himself getting the jet prepped, not saying anything until he called back to the girls to let them know they were ready to leave.

By that time, it was late enough that they'd have the cover of darkness as well as the rest of Stark's stealth tech to cover their approach into Marvel, though considering how the last run had gone, Skye had insisted on updating all the cameras and outfitting the plane with a few new programs that would supposedly help get them back from a blackout faster.

The flight was thankfully quiet all the way out to the Capitol, though that suddenly became a little less comforting when they made their approach and Scott wordlessly switched off the lights the closer they got to where Osborn's hideout was.

Logan glanced his way with a little frown, though when Scott's eyes seemed to light up with actual red light, he had to raise an eyebrow and turn his attention outside — where he absolutely couldn't see a damn thing. A shadow went past the window — obviously a tall building — but Logan couldn't see it until they were on top of it. He found himself shaking his head as Scott carefully piloted them to what in daylight amounted to a tricky landing at best.

He couldn't help but shake his head as the wheels touched down lightly in the pitch blackness. "Damn, that's cool."

Scott shot him an honest grin. "Talk to Fitz. His idea."

"It suits you," Logan said as he got to his feet and headed toward the girls, already itching for a fight.

Natasha was clearly of the same mind, and she tipped her head to the door as soon as Logan was there. "You want me to hold the door?" she asked with almost a smirk.

"Just don't stand behind it and you'll be just fine," Logan shot back. "Stay close — unless you wanna split up, then I don't know nothin' about it."

She smirked. "Let's stick close — unless we find Clint, and then I'm not making any promises."

Bobbi rolled her eyes at the pair of them as the three of them headed into the building, the landing site close enough that they were able to slip in under the radar easily.

Logan led the charge, watching for the cameras that he knew were stationed along the halls and corners once they were inside. The pattern of movement that the cameras had was the same on every floor, and Logan counted it out quickly as they moved from one spot to the next, avoiding them outright.

They went up floor by floor until Logan froze and listened hard, distracted by the sound of what could have been a mountain stream. "This is the right one," he whispered to the two of them through his teeth. He paused for just a second more before he tipped his head suddenly, looking for the cameras. The pattern was a little different on that floor than the ones before it, but Logan was in _no mood_ — and after a moment he just popped a claw, sliced through the lock and kicked the door in.

He darted in before either of the others knew what it was he had in mind — though it became apparent when a tall, slim man with white hair and glasses nearly came out of his skin as Logan got a hold of him and threw him against a wall.

Natasha and Bobbi were right behind him, and while Natasha looked for a second like she wanted to help Logan tear the guy apart, she was forced to deal with the guards instead — especially since Bobbi was distracted fighting her way through to get close enough to cut loose Whitehall's current subject: a terrified-looking Steve Rogers.

"Where is Barton?" Logan growled out, shaking in rage as the girls kept the guards at bay. When he didn't answer quick enough, a ringing _snikt_ echoed the room, and Bobbi turned to see that he'd popped two claws — one on either side of Whitehall's face — though it was clear that Logan's span wasn't quite what it should be for that game, as he'd sent one claw through Whitehall's cheek.

Whitehall let out a hiss of displeasure as he sneered at Logan. "If you wanted to join him, all you had to do was to ask."

Logan's eyes narrowed further as the last claw slowly made its way up, pressing against Whitehall's throat. "Where. Is. Barton?" But when the man smiled, instead of getting a quick death like he had _assumed,_ Logan hit him hard with his free hand and sent a claw through the man's shoulder. "You have three other ball and sockets I can wreck and plenty more to cut. Answer my question."

For every stuttered answer that Logan didn't believe, or every snide remark, Whitehall received quick correction — and not once did Logan drop his gaze from Whitehall's as he would attack one handed, pressure points, cuts, strategic stab wounds that Logan knew wouldn't be fatal but would hurt like hell.

All the while, Natasha kept the guards at bay, while Bobbi worked quickly to get Steve out of the predicament he'd been stuck in, simply cutting through anything she couldn't get undone fast enough.

Steve rubbed both hands over his eyes for a long moment as he took in a deep breath before he turned Bobbi's way. "Your timing is perfect," he said.

"How long were you in here?" Bobbi asked, trying to look him over and direct his attention away from Logan — who had just lost his temper a bit when Whitehall reached out and put his hand on Logan's arm … though from the heavy thump and screaming that followed, she could guess what had just happened.

Especially when she heard Logan hiss out, incredibly low, "You don't get to touch me."

Steve winced more than Bobbi did and rubbed at his eyes once more. "Not long ... I think. Felt longer," he said haltingly, still coming down from the panic of what had been _about_ to happen to him.

"Clint's at the other location," Logan called out finally before he did something that had Whitehall on the ground and positively squirming. "Go ahead. I'll catch up."

"Mind if I stay?" Bobbi said, leaned against the wall. "I won't step in. I just want to see this through." She tipped her head toward Whitehall, her eyes narrowed. "He's a loose end for me too."

Logan watched her for a moment, and when Whitehall tried to crawl away, he just put a boot in the middle of his back and stood on him. "Pretty sure you know where the wine is."

Bobbi nodded and made herself comfortable leaned against the wall, though Natasha was already out the door, with a very confused Steve on her tail.

* * *

In the meantime, Quill, Kurt, and Wade were on the other side of the compound, searching through room after room for any sign of their missing friends, Clint, or Whitehall ... Osborn — anyone.

When Quill threw open one door, though, he was surprised to find that there was already someone on the other side of it, just inches away, and both Betsy and Remy looked surprised to see them. Remy still had a pick in his hand, and Quill could see the busted-open cell behind the two of them.

"Well, dat's one way to get de door open. Faster, sure 'nuff," Remy chuckled.

"You three haven't seen Steve, have you?" Betsy asked around Remy's shoulder.

"No," Kurt said. "Maybe the others found him. We have another team here."

"Well, we'd best get movin'," Remy said. "De ol' creep what took Steve, he didn't look like nobody dat got bidniss wit ol' Cap."

"You haven't seen anyone else, have you?" Quill asked.

The two former captives shared a quick look and shook their heads. "Who should we see?" Betsy asked. "I just want out."

The three boys shared a look, and Kurt let out a sigh. "We had been hoping to find Clint," he admitted — an instant before an echoing _twang_ rang out in the hallway and Wade let out a little squeal as he ducked, the arrow just where he had been seconds ago.

"Found him!" Wade declared as he rushed forward to try and tackle Clint with a shouted, "Olly, olly, oxen free!" that was answered with a bow in the face. "That was not _nice,_ Clinton Francis," Wade said as he rushed toward the purple clad archer. "I went through all the trouble to find you and you just …. _Ugh._ "

"What's the story?" Betsy asked Kurt as the rest of them ran forward to help Wade. "Do I want to know?"

"We came for him; he's been compromised," Kurt explained shortly, dodging a foot that went just over his head.

"No kiddin'," Remy said, just barely avoiding Wade as Clint tried to throw him that way.

"Don't kill him; don't break anything," Kurt instructed. He darted around when Clint was recovering from the throw, seeming to appear behind him with a sword drawn as he quickly cut the bowstring. "I promise I will replace that once you're back to yourself."

Clint glanced around at the group of them, still holding the bow, though now like a staff, before he tipped his head to the side and spun the staff into Wade's stomach, dropping it in favor of the knife in his boot instead as he turned tail to run.

"Oh, that's it, mister! You don't tag and run like that from _me_ ," Wade shouted — though it came out more like a croak as he got himself more upright. With a ridiculous-sounding roar and a few loud 'oh, ouch'es thrown in for good measure, Wade led the charge after Clint. " _No running in the halls!"_

The group of them managed to catch up to Clint before he could get too far, and the archer skidded to a stop at the corner, spinning around to face the group of them. This time, when he looked over the group, he simply frowned and flipped the knife in his hand once before he pulled it toward his own throat — and Wade let out a strangled noise as he leapt forward.

He wrapped his legs around Clint's waist and his arms hooked at the tall blonde's elbows, wrenching his arms backward. "No, no; that is not how this works, birthday buddy. Nope." Clint thrashed and tried to throw him, but no matter how hard he bashed Wade into the wall, Wade just held tighter. "Not. Gonna. Happen!" Wade shouted in his ear with every bash. The two of them were still struggling all the way up until Clint finally lost his grip on the knife, his hands numb for as tightly as Wade was pulling his arms back.

But he wasn't giving up the fight. Clint was getting desperate, bashing himself as much as he was Wade, until Natasha and Steve turned the corner and saw what was going on. Before anyone could fill them in, Steve took a few quick steps forward and hammered Clint with a right jab that dropped Clint and Wade right where he stood.

"What… happened?" Natasha asked, halfway scared of the answer.

"He ... put a knife to his own throat," Kurt said almost breathlessly, while Wade didn't look like he was even considering detangling his limbs from Clint's.

"He _what_?" Natasha had stopped in her tracks, her eyes wide.

"Wade saved him," Betsy agreed.

Natasha blinked at Betsy for a long moment before she knelt down next to Clint and then looked to Wade. "He's out. I've got him from here if he wakes up again," Natasha said in an almost gentle tone.

"Not until he's restrained," Wade said. "I'll carry him for you if you like, but I'm not going to trust he won't try it again. He didn't do it until he was cornered."

"Well, that's something at least," Natasha breathed out. She glanced toward Steve for a moment, and then her gaze found Kurt's. "That's everyone. If I give you directions to where Logan is, could you remind him we need to _leave_?"

"Is that a concern?" Kurt asked.

"He found Whitehall," Natasha said simply.

Kurt went a bit pale and nodded his head in understanding as he listened to Natasha's directions and then quickly took off running.

When he got to the room — and he knew it was the right room from the low whimpering coming out of it — he was surprised to find Bobbi simply watching as Whitehall trembled on the floor, a bloodied raw mess. But Logan was still working.

"Did you find the other two?" Bobbi asked Kurt over the sound of it.

"Yes," Kurt said, wide-eyed, unable to look away. "We … we need to go now."

Bobbi tipped her head Kurt's way and pushed off from the wall. "Logan, you hear that?" she asked.

"Go ahead," Logan muttered. "I'll find my own way."

"Just… finish this and come with us," Kurt said.

"He doesn't deserve anything that civil."

"And I tend to agree," Bobbi said. "Taste of his own medicine — not to mention it's a great way for Logan to channel some anger." She smirked. "Against the right person."

Kurt frowned as he looked over the scene. "No, but we have the others — including Clint — and we're not going to leave you here for Osborn to find." He gestured at Whitehall. "He isn't worth the time you're spending on him, Logan. He isn't _worth_ the effort you're putting in, do you hear me?"

Kurt missed the look on Logan's face as he glared down at the man at his feet. It took a lot longer than Kurt wanted to see, but finally, _finally_ , Logan flicked his wrist, and what was left of Whitehall's blood emptied on the carpet as Logan stepped away, bloodied and still simmering as he turned and left the man behind.

The three of them took off down the halls at a run, though the flight assignments were slightly switched up just by virtue of the fact that Wade was carrying Clint to Scott's plane, and everyone else was headed to meet up with May.

Kurt took the copilot's seat, since it was clear Natasha needed someone there, and with Bobbi finally starting to feel the time spent watching Logan work as well as the weight of yet another person she cared about needing her attention... and Wade watching Clint's every breath even after Natasha had tied him up….

Scott had turned in the cockpit to glance at Clint with a deepening frown when they came in, and the expression only got worse when he saw Logan, but once everyone was seated and strapped in — and Wade was double-sure that Clint was properly restrained — he turned his attention back to the takeoff.

Kurt hadn't been around to see the landing, so when Scott didn't turn on any of the lights to take off in the same darkness cover that he'd landed in, Kurt couldn't help but hold his breath.

"Relax," Scott said after a moment, and Kurt had to shake his head when he saw the slight glow of Scott's eyes. "Fitz updated them."

"Clearly," Kurt said weakly, and Scott smirked.

In the meantime, Natasha was watching Clint, one hand resting on one of his arms. She was practically breathing in time with him for how concerned she was. She knew from her sessions with Charles that she'd had what Ivan called a 'self-destruct' built into her Red Room programming, but it was one thing to know it… and another thing entirely to see it in action, especially with _Clint._

She knew she would get around to asking Bobbi about it. Eventually. But for now, she was honestly taking a moment to be _upset_.

"Don't you worry," Wade said, watching Clint almost as closely but for an entirely different reason, just waiting for him to make a move that Wade might even possibly consider as 'waking up.' "The Clintasha monster won't let this stand."

"Wade," she said, but she didn't have the energy for more than that. She shook her head as, before she realized she was doing it, she'd brushed some of the hair out of Clint's face.

"That's not overly unique," Bobbi said, though she looked almost pained as she watched Clint and Natasha. "All of them have a self destruct put in. We can get it out."

"I'm not worried; I'm mad," Natasha said, pulling back her hand and putting on a glare.

"He didn't have an apprentice," Bobbi said. "Not unless you count me. If you don't… It was just him."

"Then that's something, at least," Natasha said as she let out a sigh. "I'm almost disappointed I left Logan to finish up, though, if there's no one left."

"Believe me, the guy suffered," Bobbi promised.

"Oh, I believe it," Natasha said, glancing toward Logan. "There's just something about … doing it yourself, though."

Logan glanced their way for a moment, half glaring toward Clint before he turned his attention toward the front of the plane again, not at all in the mood to _talk_.

"We'll get started undoing what Whitehall did as soon as we get back," Bobbi said. "I won't be able to do it on my own. I'll need someone to help me hold him. But I'm sure we'll have plenty of volunteers."

"I'll do it," Logan said without turning his head.

Bobbi glanced his way. "You'd have to work with me."

"I said I'd do it."

"I want to be there too," Natasha said quietly, her gaze on Logan for a long moment before she turned back to Clint when it looked like he was starting to stir.

"I'm sure a friendly face will be helpful," Bobbi said. "I'm not sure how he'll react to me, considering my work was what got between us in the first place."

"He still cares about you. He'll consider you a friendly face," Natasha pointed out. "I just want to know how he was able to avoid fighting me; he never once shot at me. That has to mean he was more in control of his actions than normal, right?"

"We'll figure it out," Bobbi promised, unconsciously resting a hand on Clint's arm as well. "I promise."


	32. Little to No Recognition

**Chapter 32: Little to No Recognition**

* * *

 _October 7_

 _Howlett Manor_

* * *

The next morning was rough when Clint woke up tied down and tried everything in his repertoire of tricks to get out of it, wide-eyed and clearly panicked — moreso when Bobbi told him to calm down. Since they knew about the self-destruct, the fact of the matter was that Clint was too well tied down to try anything at all, so all he could do was panic, and it had Bobbi and Natasha mad all over again as they watched it happen.

It was just the first session, so all Bobbi _could_ do at that point was just work on trying to get Clint past the commands he was clearly trying to follow. If he _couldn't_ run or end his own life, then, she reasoned, he should listen to her. And that much was half true, though the more accurate description would be that he was watching her and waiting for something else to happen, clearly not expecting her to spend the time to just talk to him and tell him where he was and what had happened to get him there.

Clint was clearly terrified as he watched Bobbi, and although Bobbi had the foresight to turn the machines in Hank's lab down, Natasha could see the spike in his heart rate and clenched her teeth and fists together before she just had to take a walk. She couldn't sit there like Bobbi could, not when she felt useless.

She somehow wound up at the ballroom that Logan had converted into a training hall and paused when she could hear someone in there. When she poked her head in to see that it was Logan working, she let herself in and found a good spot to get warmed up. Logan had the right idea — finding something to hit — and it wasn't long before she was working up a good rhythm as well.

Sometimes, it was just good to find a bag and hit it really hard.

It took a while, but Logan had been working his heavy bag over _hard_ for a while before Natasha showed up, so when he ran out of steam, he ran _out._ He kicked the bag hard once for good measure and took a few steps away from it, hands on his knees and bent over as he took in long, deep breaths and then picked a spot in the middle of a mat and laid down.

When Natasha ran out of steam — faster than he had because she was more upset than angry — she made her way over to him and prodded him with the tip of her toe before she sat down with two water bottles, one of which she handed to him wordlessly.

He took it but simply looked at it for a moment before he set it down next to him. "Not what I was hoping for."

"The vodka's upstairs, and I'm too tired to get it now. Give me a little time," Natasha said.

"Not really what I wanted either," he admitted.

"Well then, you'll just have to settle for one or the other," Natasha said as she leaned back on the mat.

"I skipped out on breakfast. You wanna join me?" He picked up his head and looked her up and down. "After the water."

She smirked slightly his way. "Sure. I don't have anywhere else to be right now anyway."

Logan nodded and laid back to give her a chance to catch up. "Where do you wanna be?"

"I'm not sure," she admitted, still not moving as she took a long and deep breath. "I _should_ be with Clint."

"Right. One step at a time, eh?" he said as he sat up. "Let's grab a bite. Then you can be where you need to be."

She nodded and got to her feet, offering him a hand up. "I just needed to take a little time to be selfish. I'll be fine," she told him as she dusted her hands off.

"You're not done yet," he told her as he offered her his arm.

When she took the offered arm, she looked almost annoyed with herself. "I just can't wrap my head around him being that scared," she admitted in a low tone and a rush of breath.

"It's pretty damn deeply ingrained," he muttered back.

"I know, and I've seen it," Natasha said. "But in other people. It's irrational, but he's always been braver than me, if that makes sense."

Logan nodded, not arguing with her in the least as they headed down the hall. When they got to the kitchen, Mrs. O'Malley was nowhere to be seen — but it didn't slow Logan down from starting up something himself for the two of them. "Wanna start the coffee?" he asked, not turning her way.

She did just that, moving wordlessly and automatically. "This is what happens when we miss breakfast," she said with a small smirk. "Kate takes all the coffee."

"No kidding," he replied in a flat tone. "I had no idea."

Natasha rolled her eyes but leaned against the counter as she watched him throwing together some food. "I meant to say ... thanks for helping me get him back," she said after a long moment.

"Haven't got him back yet," Logan said, still keeping to the task at hand. "But you will."

"Of course we will," she agreed. "I just meant getting him away from Norman Osborn and Whitehall." She narrowed her eyes at the thought. "I'm just glad they don't have him anymore."

Logan nodded, unsure of what he could say to her to help her out. "Were you in the room when they brought me back?"

She paused. "Yes," she said. "Not necessarily the very first time you woke up, but… yes."

"Is he that far gone?"

Natasha paused again. "No. But… it's different."

"How?"

"I could still recognize you," Natasha said. "With this… I don't think they let him think for himself."

"You'll get him out of it."

"If I have to sit in that room every day for a year," she agreed.

"I doubt he's as deep as I was. You'll get him back sooner," Logan said as he handed her a plate full of eggs.

"It certainly helps that Viper's dead and buried," Natasha said before she paused and tipped her head Logan's way. "You weren't there to meet up with the others," she said slowly, "but Wade had himself wrapped around Clint to keep him from cutting open his own throat. Right now, he can't even move."

"Yeah, I remember going through that part," Logan said.

"At least with you it was your own stupid, illogical choice," she muttered darkly. "Which I still have not forgiven you for."

"It was me, Scott, and Quill," Logan said. "There was no choice."

"And the part where you asked Mac to kill you rather than face coming back from brainwashing…" She trailed off and shook her head.

"Wasn't just that," Logan told her quietly.

She waved her hand at him. "Oh, I know the reasons. I agree with some of them. But there are very few people on this earth that I trust, and you were going to take one of them from me. That I cannot forgive."

"Then I guess you can just add that to my list."

She pushed a mug of coffee his way. "What, the fact that I trust you with my partner's life?"

"No. Another disappointment. I seem to be pretty damn good at that."

She rolled her eyes as she filled her own coffee mug and then rested her head on his shoulder as she sat next to him.

The two of them picked at their breakfast for a good long while, and when they were done, Logan got up and pulled out a new coffee cup and filled it up. "Come on. Time you go see your partner."

She eyed the coffee for a moment. "I told you: he's tied down."

"Yeah, well, grab a straw," Logan said. "You know his brain isn't going to work until he gets some coffee anyhow."

She couldn't help but smirk at that. "True," she admitted as she plucked the coffee from his hands and gave him a little kiss on the cheek. " _Spasibo_."

"Yeah, yeah, come on," Logan grumbled.

When the two of them got there, Bobbi was quietly talking with a still-panicked Clint, though when she saw Logan, Bobbi paused, just for a second, to see if he was alright with her in the room.

Logan gave her a bit of a look, but he held the door for Natasha, closing it behind her and then waving Bobbi over. "Give 'em a few minutes."

"Your idea?" Bobbi asked with a little smirk.

"C'mon, I'm not that smart."

She rolled her eyes. "Don't sell yourself short. I know for a fact it was your idea - she's not in a place that she can think to do something like _bring coffee_."

Logan gave her a dry look and handed her his cup. "If you say so."

"Don't worry; I won't tell anyone your well-hidden secret that you're intelligent," she said as she took a sip of the coffee. "Your secret's safe with me."

"Sounds like a rumor about unicorns."

"Sure thing, Logan."

While Bobbi and Logan were chatting, Natasha made herself comfortable in the seat next to Clint, watching his reactions carefully as she did so. She wasn't sure if it was a relief or not that the look of open terror was gone, because the look that had replaced it was hard to read, almost like he was studying her and completely unsure of what to do with her — and there was very little recognition there, either.

"I brought coffee," she said, and when the response was just a slight head tilt, she figured it was safe to let him have some of it.

The two of them were studying each other the entire time, completely silent as Natasha tried to think of what to do next. She had been on the receiving end of Charles' deprogramming, but for some reason, her memory of how it had come to pass had flown out the window when faced with Clint in the same position.

Finally, she asked, "Do you know where you are?"

Clint watched her carefully before he gave her a little nod.

"Do you know how you got here?"

Another little nod.

"And do you know who I am?"

Clint paused, and Natasha almost held her breath for it. She could almost see the wheels turning in his head before he leaned back, not giving her an answer either way. But on the other hand, he seemed to be more relaxed than she'd seen him all day — still tense, but not panicked, not terrified, so that was something.

Natasha thought for a long while about what to say next, how to reintroduce herself. Or if she even needed to. It might have been the case that Osborn had different orders for different people and they hadn't yet figured that out. But he seemed to know everything else… And if she did reintroduce herself, she found she wasn't sure what descriptor to give him. Partner, maybe.

She was still thinking it over when Logan and Bobbi poked in, and when they did, Clint went right back to halfway holding his breath, his gaze raking right over Natasha to land on the two newcomers, who he clearly considered more of a threat.

Before they could step in all the way though, Natasha met Logan's gaze and shook her head quickly. He put his arm out to stop Bobbi and gently pulled her out of the room with a quiet, "Let her handle it."

Bobbi had her lips pursed as she thought it over when the door closed. "It should be the other way around," she said thoughtfully. "Osborn knew they were together; they were draped over each other in public appearances. He'd use that."

"Let it go for now and just let her do her thing."

"Right, I will; I'm just saying it's something we'll have to address," she said. "And it doesn't fit the expected pattern."

"Don't overthink it, Mockingbird."

"Hey, I'd be more than happy if it's as simple as 'he likes her' and that's that, but I don't actually get paid to be an optimist," Bobbi said.

"Pretty sure you're not getting paid right now anyhow," Logan deadpanned.

"I'll bill SHIELD for services rendered."

"Leave 'em alone for a while," Logan suggested. "He's not getting up, and even if he did, she could hand him his ass in a New York minute."

"That's true," Bobbi said with a smirk as she leaned back to finish off the coffee Logan had brought. "That's half of why he likes her."

"Yeah. _That's_ it," he said, shaking his head. "More coffee in the kitchen."

She smirked and nodded, headed out. "If she comes out, stick with him while I'm gone, would you? He doesn't need to be alone while we're still scrubbing the self-destruct."

"Is that the official way to deal with it?" Logan asked.

"That and Hank has him set up for sedation through the nights so he's getting sleep — and the rest of us are too."

Logan nodded again. "Fine. I'll be here. Ready to scare the cripes outta him if she's gonna leave for a minute."

"He's reacting that way to everyone but her. Don't take it personally," Bobbi advised. "Even Charles got that reaction."

"I'm actually used to people being freaked out, so that's fine."

"Right." She shouldered out the door. "I'll be back before Hank comes in to check on him. He's making it a point to be sure he eats too, even if it's via a feeding tube."

Logan shook his head at that. "Just have Tasha bring it in. Don't _force him_."

"Well, I didn't know Tasha could get him to eat," Bobbi said. "I'll tell Hank, but I'm just telling you what the system was."

"And I'm telling you the system sucks."

"It's the best we could do, considering he was refusing water this morning."

"Bobbi. Don't force him."

"I'm not going to let him starve himself to death either," she pointed out. "Which is what he's trying to do — or has been until Natasha came in."

"I get that. But you're missing the point … just …" He waved her off. "Nevermind."

She tipped her head his way for a moment and looked like she might question him on it before she let out a sigh and left Logan to wait.

He wasn't surprised, though, when Natasha was still in there when Hank arrived, and the good doctor raised both eyebrows when he poked his head into the room and saw Natasha gently talking with Clint about some place in District Two where they had trained as kids.

Hank pulled his head back out and then turned Logan's way. "Perhaps we should set her up with a bed in there," he said with a twinkle in his eye.

"It'd make it easier on her," Logan agreed. "She got him drinking some coffee earlier."

"Really?" Hank looked both fascinated and relieved to hear it. "I wonder if she could get him to manage something a bit more solid. He fought with Bobbi and myself all morning."

"I'm sure she can," Logan replied. "And don't force him. Just don't."

"It's a moot argument with our widow in there anyway," Hank pointed out. "I'm glad to see she's staying."

"Yeah. But I'm just sayin' … the force isn't any different than the freakin' process to begin with. _Don't."_

Hank paused and turned Logan's way before he rested a hand on his shoulder. "Alright then, we won't try that unless it's absolutely necessary. We'll simply allow Miss Romanoff to work her magic."

Logan nodded once and took a step back. "You here to stay for a little bit then?"

"For as long as I'm needed, yes," Hank said.

"Then I'll leave you three alone," Logan replied, already walking backward down the hall until he caught Hank walking closer to watch Natasha work. He'd had more than enough for one day, and it was pretty clear that, outside of making sure that Clint wasn't strong-armed, he wasn't really _needed._

* * *

 _October 8_

 _Howlett Manor_

* * *

It was early enough that no one was in the kitchen when Logan made his way down — no one but Natasha, who didn't look like she had slept much and was making a pot of coffee, probably to bring to Clint that morning. She looked up when he came in and muttered a little 'hello' before she went back to what she was doing, her hair tied back in a ponytail and — though she hadn't realized it yet — the sweatshirt she'd worn to bed threatening to fall off her shoulder.

"He doesn't like to eat anything until well after coffee," she explained. "Hank spoke with Mrs. O'Malley about possibly just… having something set aside for him that I can offer."

"She'll be happy to hold something for him — or even make it fresh. She likes him," Logan said with a nod.

"Everyone likes him," Natasha said with a little smirk. "He just has that effect."

"Biased."

"Maybe," she allowed. She sat down in the nearest seat as she waited for the coffee to finish brewing and pulled her hoodie absently back over her shoulder. "We had a bit of a late night."

"I really don't want to hear about your make out therapy."

She gave him a dry look. "No, he just wouldn't calm down enough to go to sleep," she explained.

"Maybe he _needed_ the make out therapy."

"It would be like kissing a stranger," Natasha said with a heavy sigh. "I don't think he knows who I am, not really."

"He knows who you are," Logan said with a look.

"That's not what he says when I ask," she replied. "He'll nod if I ask about anyone else, but with me, it's like he can't figure out what he's supposed to say."

"Yeah? Want me to ask for you? I can pass him a note if that's what you need done."

"I doubt he'd answer you; he won't even nod for Bobbi," she said. "It's still early; we've only been at this for a day."

"What do you think his problem is?" Logan asked as he got up and got himself a cup of coffee before the pot was done brewing.

"I have two theories," Natasha said. She pushed a few stray strands out of her face. "The first is that he just tried to keep from having to fight me by mentally reclassifying me somehow."

"That sounds a little advanced for him," Logan deadpanned over his mug.

"He's smarter than you think he is," Natasha said with a sharpness to her tone.

"No, I mean he's not the type to reclassify _you_."

Natasha pulled back her glare slightly and let out a breath. "True. And he's not exactly the best at hiding his emotions or his thoughts," she said. "The other possibility — and this is more likely — is that he just doesn't see me as… existing. He probably thought I was killed when he was taken. So I wouldn't fall into a threat category."

Logan just watched her for a moment but didn't comment on it for a long while. "That … sounds more likely. Especially considering that Osborn had told Parker that Kurt and I were dead. The mental trauma might have been enough to give him a foothold to make the stupid program work quicker."

Natasha nodded. "Bobbi said something to that effect — that Whitehall does better with broken minds."

"His method takes trauma to make it work," Logan said flatly, staring into his coffee.

"Then we're lucky it backfired on him," Natasha said. "At least in this case. The trauma wasn't real, so now Clint has… what would you call me then, a ghost?" She tried to give him a little smirk. "Osborn's own cruelty come to bite him?"

"Somethin' like that."

Natasha nodded and got to her feet when she heard the beep of the coffeemaker finishing up. "At any rate, at least it's enough to let me help him. He'll eat, even respond to me — and we'll try reintroducing others in the room with me as well. But like I said…" She gave him a wan, tired look. "It would be like kissing a stranger. He doesn't _know_ me. Or, at least, he doesn't understand me."

"I'll go with you," Logan decided, picking up his mug. "Might as well tell him how it is right now."

She glanced up at him as she finished pouring two mugs for herself and Clint. "Are you sure? If he figures out I should be a threat, that could put us right back where we were."

"If he thinks you're a threat, I'll get him to see sense. Just … roll with it." Logan gave her a little smirk and held the door open for her. "But he's not going to think you're dead when we walk out."

"Well, that's a step in the right direction — I think," Natasha said, carrying her two mugs of coffee down to where Clint was in the lab. It was early enough that he was still coming out of the sedative Hank had given him to get him to sleep, though when the smell of coffee came in, he seemed to wake up a little more, pay better attention. He tipped his head toward Natasha for a moment, but when he saw Logan come in, his attention went from her to Logan in a heartbeat, and Natasha had to sigh when she saw the same wide-eyed terror he'd been giving Bobbi before.

Logan took a seat on one of the high stools near the counter in Hank's lab. "Barton. There is something majorly wrong with you if you're watching me and not the pretty redhead." He shook his head to himself and just started on his coffee.

Clint didn't take his gaze from Logan, though, even as Natasha settled herself into what was now her usual spot. "Coffee," she told him, trying to draw him back to her. "Come on, Clint. He's just here to observe."

Logan turned partway from the couple and started chatting quietly with Hank. He was sure to leave himself open for Clint to be able to read both of their lips as they spoke — about nothing but the goings on in the house, Skye and Kate's shenanigans in particular.

It took a moment or nine, but Clint finally seemed to decide that Logan wasn't an imminent danger, and while he still kept half an eye on Hank and Logan, Natasha was able to get his attention partway back, drinking coffee with him for a while and occasionally reassuring him that Logan wasn't there to _do_ anything. It was a little more difficult to get him to take any coffee when he kept glancing Logan's way, but by half an hour in, Natasha had two empty mugs and was already annoyed with how edgy Clint was, refusing to do more than glance her way when she tried to engage with him as he kept an eye on Logan.

"You ready for another cup, sweetheart?" Logan called out their way.

Natasha glanced up at Logan with a raised eyebrow but nodded all the same. "I'm sure we could both use a little more coffee," she said.

Logan walked over to steal the fresh pot Hank had brewed and brought it over to the two of them, topping off their mugs before he headed back to do the same with his own and put the pot back. "I know everyone tells you to shut up, but … you should talk to your girl, Barton. She's gonna get a complex."

Clint watched Logan all the way through putting the coffee pot back, frowning hard and going from a wide-eyed terror to more narrowed-eye suspicion — which Natasha wasn't sure was an improvement.

"Clint," Natasha said, tapping on his shoulder. Clint jumped slightly and then turned her way with a little frown. With a furtive glance Logan's way that seemed to say _watch_ , Natasha tipped her head Clint's way and asked, "Do you remember me?"

Clint nodded.

"Do you know who I am?"

But that, as always, just got a little stare, and Natasha looked Logan's way with an expression that clearly said, _See?_

Logan let out a sigh and set his mug down. "Are you kidding me?" He asked, frowning at Clint. "You nearly shot me for kickin' her trash around. Come on, Barton. Get it together. You can't go from deaf to mute. That's just … stupid."

Clint gave Logan his full attention and a deep glare, chin thrust out — though it lasted for only a second before he seemed to realize he was doing it, and then he stopped and shook his head lightly.

"Well he's doing a good Clint impersonation," Logan muttered before he let out a sigh and signed to him. _What can I do?_

Clint stared at Logan's hands for a long time before he very slowly signed back — spelling out what he couldn't do with one hand since he was tightly pinned down. _Don't know._

 _You're in my house. Talk._

Clint shook his head. _No. I know. No._

 _Talk to her._ Logan replied, frowning hard at him.

Clint glanced over at Natasha, who was watching the whole conversation carefully. _You can sign,_ she offered, and he just seemed to watch her that much more intently.

"Clint," Logan said, catching his attention. _What's the problem with her?_

 _Trick,_ Clint signed carefully.

Logan looked outright irritated. _You don't think that's her?_

 _I don't know. No._ Clint glanced to Nat and then back to Logan. _I don't think so._

 _It's her._

 _She died._

 _Only once. She got over it._

Natasha let out a little breath of a laugh at Logan's response, and Clint glanced her way with a healthy amount of suspicion. "Clara picked me up outside of Fisk's offices in One, and the team got me home in … relatively one piece," she explained. "I borrowed one of your stupid arrows and jumped out a window."

Clint stared at her. _No. You didn't._

"I did, and I swear to you, Barton, I wound up in a dumpster, and I blame you."

"It's true." Logan was nodding along with her as he very slowly made his way a few steps closer. "Took four showers just to get the stink of dumpster failure off of 'er."

Clint was watching Logan's every step and half holding his breath, but he spelled out _Nat_ before he signed, _The arrows are busted I guess_ so that she knew it was directed her way, though he was watching Logan like he was worried the guy would do something to him.

"The hell does that mean?" Logan asked, frowning.

Clint watched Logan. _Dumpster arrows,_ he signed, glancing Natasha's way for only a second before he went back to watching Logan, seeming to let out a breath when Logan didn't respond to the sign more than just to tip his head to the side.

"What do I gotta do to get you to talk?" Logan asked. "You want proof it's her?"

Clint glanced at Nat and shook his head. _No._

"So you believe him?" Natasha asked, and when Clint knocked 'yes', she couldn't help the little smile.

"Well good," Logan said, heading back to his mug. "Because I thought I was gonna have to kiss you just to get a rise out of him."

"Skye would ask for the footage," Natasha said with a smirk.

"You mean unless she's found a way to wire the room already?" Logan asked.

"Good point," Natasha chuckled, leaning back in her seat as she took a long sip of coffee.

"No one is going to get mad at you for talkin'," Logan said to Clint. "If they do, tell me and I'll kick the crap out of 'em." Logan paused and watched Clint for a moment with a little smirk growing at the corner of his mouth. "Or … I can send Wade in to keep you company."

Clint shook his head at that. _Don't. Don't do that._

"He's right," Natasha pointed out. "You can't sign to everyone. Not everyone knows it."

"He's been wanting to give him mouth-to-mouth since the plane ride home," Logan replied.

"I thought you said you didn't want to know about makeout therapy," Natasha smirked.

"I already know about makeout therapy — just not with Wade," Logan pointed out.

"Just getting him to sign…" Natasha gestured at Clint, who was watching both of them warily by then. "That will help Bobbi and Charles immensely."

"I don't care about helping Bobbi and Charles," Logan said with a wave. "It's you two. Get it together."

"On what, exactly?" Natasha asked with an eyebrow raised. "I think acknowledging my existence is a nice change, don't you?"

"Be better if he'd talk to you," Logan replied.

"He is," Natasha pointed out, and Clint almost imperceptibly nodded his agreement.

"Twenty-four hours," Logan growled out. "Then I'm sending in your resurrection buddy or whatever the hell he's calling himself this week." He looked at Clint with a serious expression. "And I expect you to be mouthy as hell with him — one way or another."

 _Oh God no,_ was the response from Clint, looking genuinely upset about it.

Logan just chuckled at him. "It's your call, Hawk-guy."

 _And it has to be Wade?_

 _Got someone else that might force kiss you into acting like yourself?_

 _Nat?_ Clint offered.

"Please," Logan said gesturing to her. "You don't gotta be afraid of me. Got it? If you want, one or both of us will be around when Bobbi and Charlie are here."

Clint seemed to consider this before he nodded, carefully. _Translator._

 _I won't let them force you into anything,_ Logan promised.

Clint watched him for any sign of a lie, and when he didn't see one, he nodded. _I don't want to talk._

 _Then you're going to need to make some major improvements on your own,_ Logan replied. "No one … _no one_ will hurt you."

Clint tipped his head Logan's way. _Then why am I tied down?_

 _Osborn brainwashed you. You tried to off yourself when you were cornered, and you shot me._ Logan gave him a look. "Charlie's gonna have to get the triggers outta your head. I promise, it's painless. Like takin' a nap, really."

Clint stared at Logan for a while before he seemed to shrink in on himself. _Ok._

"Clint, you really don't have to sign everything," Natasha said gently. "That's part of what's going on too."

 _Kazi can't sign_ , Clint replied.

"Who the hell's Kazi?" Logan asked.

 _Headed up the 'investigative unit'._

"Well, he's sure as hell not welcome here," Logan said. "And if you point him out, I'll aerate him for you." He paused. "And so you know … Whitehall is dead."

Clint looked surprised, his lips slightly parted in an 'o' before he nodded and then leaned his head back, his eyes closed as he processed it. _He was there too, right?_

 _He was the one that did it to you,_ Logan signed back once Clint opened his eyes and looked his way.

 _I don't remember it,_ Clint admitted.

 _Lucky you._

 _Will I? After Xavier gets through?_

 _Dunno. You'll have to ask Charlie._

Clint considered Logan carefully and then very minutely shook his head. "Sorry," he muttered in half a whisper that turned into a wince conditioned into him on speaking.

"Don't apologize," Logan said. "Not your fault."

 _Shot you, though. And all that other crap._

"I've had worse," he replied with a shrug.

"And it still isn't your fault," Natasha said firmly. "Or it would be my fault for shooting _you_ on Essex's orders."

 _Which it wasn't_.

"See?" She gestured at Clint and then at Logan. "Why is it that two of my favorite people in the world are such idiots?"

"Shit taste?" Logan asked.

"Must be," she agreed with a smirk as Clint nodded his fervent agreement.

"Let me know if you need me," Logan offered, handing Natasha his tablet. "I'll have Skye's."

"I'd ask if I could go through the history, but I know Skye has it wiped every 24 hours," Natasha chuckled.

Logan shook his head. "You know what she says, right? Always a trail if you're determined enough to find it."

"I'll be a little occupied," Natasha pointed out, resting a hand on Clint's shoulder that the blonde archer stared at for a while.

"Which is why I'm not worried in the least," he agreed. "But you might wanna kiss him before he regresses."

 _Otherwise it's taking advantage,_ Clint said.

 _Which she'll do anyhow._ Logan countered.

 _I wouldn't complain._

Natasha rolled her eyes at Logan. "Just… go get Bobbi and Charles so we can keep him from regressing too far in the first place."

Logan waved over his shoulder as he left. "I'll tell 'em later. Work on your makeout therapy in the meantime."

Natasha shook her head at that, though when the door closed and Clint was giving her such a _look_ , she rolled her eyes at him too. "You're both horrible," she told him, and he nodded his agreement before she very carefully moved her chair so she could more comfortably kiss him.


	33. Dirty Tricks

**Chapter 33: 'Dirty Tricks'**

* * *

 _October 14_

 _Howlett Manor_

* * *

While the next few days were a little rough on not only Natasha and Clint but on Bobbi and Charles as they worked with Clint, Charles was sure that the self-destruct was no longer an issue, at least, even if Clint was still reluctant to talk outside of sign language unless it was in small snatches of conversation — or whispered words to Natasha.

But they were still making progress. And because they were, Charles and Bobbi both agreed that it was quickly getting to the point that they could let Clint up — as long as there was a way to get him down quickly should an emergency arise.

And with Natasha sticking to Clint, it fell on Logan to prepare a few able bodies to help.

"Alright, Charlie said they were gonna let Barton out of the restraints soon," Logan said to Scott and Peter Quill as the three of them walked into the training room. "So ... before that happens, I wanna show you what works best to stop him cold." He gestured for Scott to be ready to attack him. "Clint is some kinda acrobat. He's pretty damn flexible, so he can wiggle out of stuff he really shouldn't be able to."

Scott nodded thoughtfully. "If that's the case, some of the usual holds won't work," he said under his breath.

"No, they won't," Logan agreed. "When you get a hold of his wrist, clamp down hard. To the point you think you might break it."

Quill raised an eyebrow and gave Logan a theatrical wince. "I know it's important to stop him cold, but he's an archer. We don't exactly want to hurt his hands."

"Right. And because he's worried about it too, he'll stop when it hurts too much," Logan reasoned. "That's always in the back of his head, and it's also why you're practicing on me. If you go too far and break my wrist, no big deal." He paused and tipped his head to the side. "Well. Fitz might get twitchy. But I can deal with him."

Scott shook his head with a bit of a glare. "It's still a big deal," he argued, then sighed. "But I see the point. I won't break your wrist, though."

"I know," Logan replied. "Thought you two'd wanna know my reasonin'. That's all."

"Makes perfect sense to me," Quill said with a light shrug.

"Neither one of you's been trained like him. So let's get goin' with somethin' easy, start with a sure fire," Logan told him, offering Scott his arm. "Grab my wrist and twist, pull it around behind my back, grab the thumb, palm out, and pull up toward my head as far as you're comfortable."

"Alright." Scott stepped forward to follow Logan's instructions, though it wasn't lost on Logan that he stopped a bit shorter than Logan would have.

"Higher up. This is an easy one. You should be able to more or less stop him with one arm. You have a way to go before anything breaks or dislocates. And if you can get both arms, you're in business."

Scott nodded and readjusted, pulling harder as he grabbed Logan's thumb. When Logan took in a sharp breath, he let go and took a step back. "You alright?"

"You didn't do any damage, just got my attention. That's where you can stop. Just … don't let go of him when you get to that point. You can back down a little, but don't let go."

"Don't worry; I won't let him get free," Scott assured him quickly.

"Good. Now, I'm gonna be a giant pain in the ass. You try and pin me however it works best."

Scott couldn't help the smirk as he nodded. "Well, it's nice to hear you admit it."

Logan smiled the slightest. "Just return the favor sometime, eh?"

"I'll take it under consideration."

With a little shake of his head, Logan let out a breath and made a break for the door. Scott caught on fast and made a full tackle, easily knocking him to the ground, but once they got there, he was surprised at how hard it was to keep him there — until he did as Logan had warned and clamped down on his wrists and started playing dirty. A short time later, Scott had him solidly, and Logan smirked at him face-down in the mat.

"Nice. Just keep your guard up and be ready to fight dirty. Clint isn't gonna play fair. He'll try to head butt you, bite, kick, go for the groin; he's not above any of it, so be ready." Scott nodded and let him up so that Quill could do the same thing — though Quill didn't hesitate as much as Scott had and even tweaked Logan a little further.

"Little harder to practice when you're so _you_ and Clint's so tall and skinny," Quill teased.

"Very funny, smartass," Logan grumbled. "But Clint can't pin me without help. If you can get me, you can get him."

"Fair enough; I'm just pointing out the test dummy is lacking."

"What else is new?" Logan muttered before shifting under Quill and changing the subject. "When they let him go, I'll be there to help too — because he's that dirty. I'm sure one of us should be enough, but I'm not real comfortable with Charlie in there when he's let loose."

"I'm with you there," Scott agreed with a little nod. "Better safe than sorry."

"You want a few tips on nasty tricks?"

Scott inclined his head slightly. "If it'll help keep him down," he said at the same time Quill chuckled and said, "You know it."

"I can't believe this is my life," Logan said under his breath before he raised his voice to a normal level. "No tellin' if you ever might need 'em down the line."

"Well, you said he plays dirty." Scott gestured for Logan to meet him as he settled into a readier stance. "If nothing else, I'd like to know what he might try."

Logan nodded and simply started to walk him through all the dirty stuff he'd seen Clint do — both in the field and when it was Clint that was trying to keep Logan down. He was pretty sure they'd need to know all of it.

* * *

 _October 15_

 _Howlett Manor_

* * *

Natasha had of course insisted on being there when the restraints came off on Clint, though as a precaution, anyone who had been on the team that was ambushed the first time they went after Clint as well as the follow-up team — and anyone that Clint had been ordered to arrest like Steve — was barred from coming.

So for the moment, it was just Natasha and Scott in the room — which was more than enough to stop Clint if something went wrong.

But, to their surprise, once the restraints had come off, Clint just sat up and stretched, rubbing his wrists and ankles for a while with an almost disbelieving sort of look on his face.

"Well, alright," he said very quietly, turning to Natasha and Scott with a shrug. _That was easy,_ he signed her way.

She smirked at him and rested a hand on his knee. "See? You'll be back to playing with that mangy mutt of yours and coming up with names for Kate's little baby in no time."

 _Gotta name the mangy mutt too._

She chuckled. "That's your job."

 _Right._ He nodded. _Got distracted._

Scott watched the back and forth for a while, not catching most of it, before he cleared his throat. "So ... now I guess we bring in the others," he said. "See if you can make more progress upright for a while, huh?"

 _Would be a nice change,_ Clint signed Natasha's way with a smirk that had a whole other kind of trouble behind it, and she rolled her eyes at him.

Charles came in a short moment later with a hopeful look on his face as he watched Clint and closed the door behind himself. "Mr. Barton," he said, smiling warmly. "It's nice to see you on your feet."

Clint signed something to Natasha that Charles couldn't see, and she laughed before she turned his way. "He … agrees," she said with an ill-hidden smirk.

"Nice to hear," Charles said, letting his smile widen. "How is the progress going otherwise? Any trouble with your visitors so far?"

Clint shook his head with a tentative smile. _Not since Wade,_ he signed, and Natasha smirked as she relayed the message.

"Well that's enough to be a problem for anyone," Charles agreed.

"So, what's the next step?" Natasha asked in a low tone as she took a small step toward Charles. "Do we need to… I just want to be sure that he's clear of that self-destruct, but I don't want to make him feel cornered to check it," she admitted.

"Who would you like to have assist you?" Charles asked.

Natasha bit her lip. "He does alright with Logan," she admitted. "I would ask Bobbi, but this whole thing has been hard enough for her… And she'd been doing the hard work while I bring coffee. Give her some time with Hunter."

"Then why don't you ask Logan to come down," Charles said, gesturing for Natasha to make the request.

Natasha glanced toward Clint for a moment, who shrugged easily, before she slipped out the door to do just that, temporarily leaving Clint without a reliable translator in the meantime as he just sort of scuffed the ground with one foot.

A short while later, Natasha stepped in again, with Logan right behind her. Logan followed her a short distance back and stopped in the middle of the room before Clint acknowledged them at all. He had just smirked Natasha's way when his gaze found Logan, and the only warning Logan had was the slight tense in Clint's muscles before he flat out tackled Logan to the ground.

Logan pushed back and started to fight him off, and if it wasn't for the fact that Clint was really giving it his best shot, Logan would have thought it was a joke. Though he didn't miss that Clint wasn't going for kill shots either. Charles shouted for someone to intervene — only for Logan to tell them to back off... and moments later, he gave up the fight to see what Clint had planned.

Once Clint had Logan in a satisfying enough pin that he could be reasonably sure Logan wasn't going anywhere, he glanced up and looked around the room almost expectantly before his expression turned suddenly confused when it was clear to him that there wasn't anyone for him to turn Logan over _to_. He paused, still working it out, though no one moved to stop him either until he just put an elbow in Logan's temple to knock him out until he could figure out what to do and stepped back from the shorter young man, still with that same incredibly confused expression.

"What are you looking for, Mr. Barton?" Charles asked quickly.

"Kazi," Clint said. "Or whoever's in charge."

"And when you find them, then what?" Charles asked.

"Then I turn him in and find the next one," Clint said.

"Who else are you looking for?"

Clint shrugged lightly. "Anyone on the president's list."

"Who's on the list? Perhaps I can help."

Clint turned Charles' way and tipped his head to the side, clearly working it out for himself. "Logan," he said, gesturing to the unconscious former victor. "Peter, Gwen, Miles… Tony…"

"Is that all?" Charles asked.

"Those are the top priority," Clint admitted. He glanced toward Logan and shifted a little. "Anyone who spoke out on air is on the list."

Charles nodded. "Mr. Barton, I'd like very much if you relaxed," he said, already starting to get Clint in the right mindset to hypnotize. "Your target is down. He's not going anywhere."

At that, Clint glanced toward Logan with a little frown before he nodded Charles' way. "Yes, sir."

Charles glanced over at Quill and Scott, who were moving toward where Logan was lying on the ground. "Don't touch him," Charles advised before he took the time to get Clint under and start to remove the triggers — now that they knew who he was supposed to go after.

It took a little while, and when Clint came out of it, Logan was still on the floor. Clint frowned to himself when he saw Logan, then glanced around the room. _What happened?_ he asked, signing this time.

Charles let out a long breath. "We found a hidden command," he told him.

 _What was it?_ Clint asked, frowning harder still.

"Capture those that spoke out against Osborn on air."

 _How far did I get?_ Clint asked.

"You got him down before you couldn't find who was in charge," Charles admitted. "Then you knocked him out to figure out what to do."

Clint winced the slightest bit and muttered out a little, "Sorry."

"Logan's idea to let you go to it," Quill said. "Don't need to apologize."

"It was actually helpful. You reported who you were after, so at least we know now instead of having to find out on a trial basis," Scott added.

"Which means those guys are all benched for now, right?" Quill said. "At least for anything in the country."

"That's what masks are for, Peter," Natasha said with a smirk.

"Yeah, but … you guys said he was made even with the mask on and no claws," Quill pointed out.

"And not captured still," Natasha said. "We'll be fine."

"You were talking," Charles said, redirecting the conversation to Clint.

Clint paused at that and rubbed the back of his neck. _Reporting,_ he corrected Charles. _Not allowed to talk._

"We'll try to work on that next session then," Charles said before he gestured for Scott to wake Logan up. "But for now, we should check that our work was good."

Clint took half a step back and watched nervously as Scott shook Logan awake, his hands clenching and unclenching in fists as he watched.

It took Logan a minute to get himself together enough to get upright, but when he did, he gave Scott a pat on the shoulder to leave again as he waited to see what Clint was going to do, standing up straight and trying to shake the fog out of his head.

Clint watched Logan carefully, even as Logan came a few steps his way, and he was still reflexively opening and closing his hands, but there was at least no tackle this time. Logan glanced between Charles and Clint and started walking toward CLint, purposely pushing it until he was only an arms length away. Clint was halfway holding his breath, at least aware now of what the problem was and glancing convulsively toward Charles, but Charles didn't make a move to stop the encounter either.

"You okay, Barton?" Logan asked.

Clint shook his head lightly and made the quick sign for 'sorry' with his thumb over his knuckles.

"You sure you don't wanna try again?" Logan said.

Clint nodded and took a slight step back until he hit the wall, which only got Logan to step toward him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Shake it off."

 _Stop,_ Clint signed.

 _I can take it_ , Logan signed back.

Clint let out a sigh and shook his head. _Don't do that to me._

 _All I did was let you win._

 _So back off._

Logan put both hands up and took a measured step back, still watching him closely.

Clint didn't take his gaze off of Logan. _Nat… I'm done._

At that Logan let out a breath and relaxed, continuing to walk backward. "Maybe next time," Logan said.

 _Sometime when I'm sure it's me who wins,_ Clint replied.

 _Ain't never gonna happen, Blondie._ Logan shot him a little smirk and turned away from him, shooing out Scott and Quill, though he left Charles to decide on his own if more work was warranted today or not.

* * *

And while the group downstairs was working with Clint, Bobbi had taken the opportunity to find a quiet part of the gardens on the estate to catch her breath and get some time _away_ from that work.

It was a lot harder than she'd thought it would be, working with Clint. Not just because it was always hard to get back into that mindset, but because it was Clint.

She still cared about him, deeply, even if things had changed between them after Hydra. It was hard to watch him hurt.

"Taking a break?"

Bobbi looked up and smiled, scooting over to make room for Kate to sit down on the bench next to her. "Yeah. And you?"

"I needed fresh air," Kate said with a shrug. She sat down next to Bobbi and bumped her shoulder. "You okay?"

"I will be."

Kate nodded and then leaned over to rest her head on Bobbi's shoulder. "I love him too," she said, simply, and Bobbi just had to smile at that and rest her head on Kate's as the two of them fell into silence.


	34. Leverage

**Chapter 34: Leverage**

* * *

 _October 17_

 _Howlett Manor_

* * *

The TV in the background was playing news coverage — Trish's broadcast, of course, since they knew she would actually give a straight story — when Skye snuck downstairs to get herself some blackberries this time around. She was _really_ craving them.

Of course, 'sneaking' was a little hard to do with how far along she was — Hank said she was about a month away from meeting her little girl — but she tried nonetheless.

Trish was talking about Osborn's failed push to get into Four as Skye dropped down into a seat next to Scott with a bowl full of nothing but blackberries, and she grinned at him as she popped one in her mouth. "Anyone could have told him that was a stupid decision," she said, pointing with one hand toward the broadcast. "I mean, come on. District full of stupid, honor-bound warriors?"

Scott smirked her way over the top of his coffee cup. "Obviously," he said. "What were they thinking?"

She chuckled and lightly punched him in the shoulder, though he rolled his shoulder with a little wince at that. "Ooh, sorry," she said.

"You're fine," he assured her. "Just a little sore."

"Yeah, Logan said you guys had to tackle Clint a few times."

Scott nodded at that as he refilled his mug, offering the pot her way in a silent question, though she shook her head. She was content with the blackberries that she had. "The professor says he's making progress, but he still packs a mean punch," Scott admitted as he sat back down with his coffee.

"But he's coming along, right?" Kate said from the doorway, and both Scott and Skye looked up as Kate dropped down to sit next to Skye and swipe a couple berries. "Because I have plans to totally guilt him into coming out of that stupid room."

"Yeah?" Scott asked with one eyebrow raised.

"Mmmhmm," Kate said as she tried to steal more of the blackberries from Skye, but Skye pulled her bowl in tight to her chest, and Kate sighed as she got up to get her own. "We had Hank write down what we're having, not gonna open it until Clint comes out to play with us so he can hear too. Same time as everyone else."

"That's just cruel," Skye said. "To yourself."

"Yeah, well, it's a very good motivator when I get in with this face—" She paused and pouted dramatically. "—and tell him to get his butt in gear."

"Nice. I like it," Skye said appreciatively as she popped a handful of berries into her mouth. "So when do you tell him to get his sorry butt in gear? Exactly. I might need to know for ... you know … recording purposes."

Kate chuckled and leaned forward with trouble in her gaze. "I got it all set up with Bobbi to help out after breakfast," she said. "I'm bringing the good coffee, too. Little bit of carrot with the stick."

"Yeah, Logan said that was helping. The coffee, that is."

"Can't be a Hawkeye without coffee," Kate said matter-of-factly. "He was seriously caffeine-deprived. It's a thing."

"Well, cruel and unusual seems to be Gobby's trademark," Skye pointed out.

"Don't gotta tell me," Kate said, pulling a little face. She took another long drink of coffee before she reached into her sweatshirt hoodie pocket and pulled out a few folded papers to push Scott's way. "Oh, Kurt picked these up yesterday. I was supposed to give them to you, but I fell asleep watching movies with David."

Skye looked between the two of them and then fixed her gaze on Scott. "So…. whatcha got there, Fearless?"

Scott tried and failed to stop the smirk. "Oh, nothing important. Just a few papers for our mutual scientific friends to sign along with some other paperwork for me."

"You… are a horrible liar. Not important my backside."

"Well, you mentioned that they were reading everything _you_ gave them…" he pointed out with a smirk and a shrug.

"I'm going to need to know when those end up on Fitz's desk. For … similar reasons to Clint's torture."

"Fitz is supposed to do a checkup on my eyes tonight, which is why I asked Kurt to get the papers yesterday," Scott explained.

She smirked his way. "You know, I think I like this little troublemaking streak on you," she said, nodding. "It's a good look."

He laughed and held up both hands. "Trouble, nothing. This is _long_ overdue for those two."

"I'm just sayin'," Skye said, raising both hands and shrugging her shoulders up. "If you and Logan tag-teamed them, they would have _zero_ chance."

"If Logan got involved, there'd be a wedding planned behind the papers," Kate said with a little chuckle into her coffee.

"You're right; he'd just spring it on them."

"We'll save that for Clint and Nat," Kate decided. "Seeing as Logan looks like he's gonna explode every time those two are… being… them. I'll be Clint's best woman."

"He just doesn't understand what the hold up is," Skye defended.

" _No one_ understands what the hold up is," Kate said.

"Yes, but it irritates him," she laughed.

Kate laughed. "He just wants people to be happy. You know, like the spiders."

"Yeah, do _not_ bring that up. If it wasn't for Clint being stupid about not talking, he'd be all over them."

"Hey, at least Gwen's got a ring. It's a step forward," Scott pointed out. "Actually, I asked Peter about it — apparently, it was his aunt's."

"That's super sweet," Skye said, smiling. "Not as sweet as a custom job like _you_ did, though. _Romeo_."

Scott rubbed the back of his neck. "Right. Well. Yeah."

Kate laughed and then popped a few more berries into her mouth as she got to her feet. "I'm taking these with me," she told Skye. "Do you want to come in person or just watch the feed?"

"Sure, I'll go," she said. "I can remote record … and if you need extra ammo to toss at Clint ... "

"Yes, good, you could remind him you're only, what, five weeks out?" Kate said with an impish grin.

"Six. Ish."

"Kurt keeps hoping Hank's count is off, you know," Kate teased. "He really wants a birthday buddy."

"I know," Skye replied with a grin.

"And yours has a birthday closer to the actual due date…" Kate shook her head with a little giggle.

"Yeah, but he's not really pushing for that," Skye said. "Even if he could use a _good_ birthday for once."

"Would be nice," Kate agreed.

"You know Mac's got half the ex-Sentinels in the district looking for Creed, right?" Scott said.

"The ones that decided to stay instead of going back to their own district? Yeah. He said as much."

Scott tipped his head Skye's way. "I'm sure we could beef up the mansion security between now and then anyway, just to be safe," he sad.

"Probably a smart move," she admitted. "I really don't want to have to deal with him if I'm any _bigger._ Or … if there is a tiny girl around. That would be awful."

"Yeah, that's not gonna happen," Scott promised. "I'll talk to Fitz when I go in to see him anyway, see about updating the perimeter." He shrugged. "I need a new project anyway."

"Well… you have time. I hope."

"Hey, he's not getting anywhere near you. Even if he hits the manor, you're not going to see so much as a blonde ponytail."

"Oh, for sure," Skye agreed. "Secret passages and whatnot."

"Exactly," Scott said.

"Now all we gotta do is catch the creep, and that would be a great birthday present for Logan," Kate said thoughtfully. "Wrap him up with a bow — ta da. No more stupid."

"That's probably too optimistic," Skye pointed out.

"Yeah, he'd probably tear the bow to shreds."

"And Logan is _not_ interested in _catching him._ "

"Well, that's the whole point. Wrap him up ... here, Logan. Have at it," Kate said. "Though I'll probably stick him with a couple arrows below the belt. You know. For reasons."

"Yeah, Logan's got this weird idea about … _fair_ of all things," Skye said, shaking her head. "As if Creed's ever tried to play fair."

"You're the one who married him," Kate pointed out.

"I know. I just didn't think 'samurai lumberjack' was going to be so … _accurate._ "

Kate chuckled as she grabbed a few more blackberries to fill her bowl. "Come on. We'll figure out how to 'accidentally on purpose' wrap up a big blonde creep and make it look fair on our way to bugging my best friend, huh?"

Skye just nodded her agreement and headed out with Kate, though she was sure to offer Scott some berries on the way out.

* * *

Everything checked out fine when Scott went to have Fitz check on his eyes — as expected — though Fitz was still muttering to himself about wanting to make sure the whole thing was 'just so' and whatever other technical things he was muttering as Scott pushed him a stack of paperwork.

"More than usual, sorry," Scott said straight-faced. "You'll need Simmons for a couple."

"Right, yeah," Fitz said distractedly as he waved Simmons over, and Scott was having a hard time keeping the smirk off his face — especially when both Skye and Mack did their best impression of "just happening to stop in" right about that time as well.

"So, everything all good with my favorite ex-tribute?" Skye asked as she hopped up to sit on the table — helped along by Mack, who more or less picked her up when the hop just… _didn't_ do anything.

"Just fine," Fitz said. "Finishing up now, actually."

"Did you need something, Skye?" Simmons asked sweetly as Fitz passed her the clipboard full of paperwork and she flipped through it, then paused. "Fitz…" she said slowly. "Did you mean to sign this?"

"Of _course_ he did," Skye said with a smirk, since … they were busted anyhow.

Fitz looked between Simmons and Skye before he ducked around the clipboard to see what Simmons had noticed and looked suddenly very red. "You didn't… how did…" He glanced between Scott, Skye, and Mack. "Ah…"

"Careful how you answer that now," Mack said quietly.

Simmons was somewhere between a smile and disbelief as she watched Fitz, who for his part sputtered for a moment before he said, "Well, I certainly _would have_ if I'd known what it _was_."

"Great, we'll take that as a yes," Scott said. "There's a few more underneath that one you both have to sign, and Skye and Mack will witness, of course."

The pair of scientists stared first at Scott and then at the clipboard and then, briefly, at each other before a red-faced Fitz muttered, "I… already signed them all, Jemma. So…"

"Oh, right," Jemma said, similarly red-faced as she pulled up a chair to read through the paperwork a little closer.

"I left the date open," Scott said, "since I wasn't sure when you'd come around… And you can pick the minister, obviously. And if you _want_ to change your names, I've got that too, but I left it behind in case you were fine as-is."

"You two were _in on this_ ," Fitz accused Skye and Mack, who were both grinning _widely._

"Obviously," Mack said with a shrug.

"So, when's this happening, anyway?" Skye asked. "I mean, November's sort of my month, really, and Scott's getting married early January, so… maybe a Valentine's wedding?" Her eyes were sparkling with trouble. "You know ... mark the occasion of another certain anniversary that went down with champagne and chocolates?"

"That… actually is a pretty good idea," Simmons admitted.

"Great, I'll tell Coulson," Skye said, clapping her hands together.

"Oh, do you think he _can_ do it?" Simmons asked. "I mean, legally… he's not _technically_ in charge of anything."

"Legally, I'm sure District Seven will let him do it if he wants to," Skye pointed out.

"True," Simmons said with a quick little nod before she went back to signing things.

Scott smirked over at Skye. "I'm sure the back-to-back weddings will have everyone around here on cloud nine," he said. "And it'll be nice for Mrs. O'Malley to have someone else to focus on too."

Skye let out a little laugh. "You say that like she can't spoil the crap out of thirty people at once."

"True," Scott admitted with an open shrug. "What can I say? I try to be optimistic."

"Well, from the way they talk around here, they weren't _allowed_ to spoil anyone around here until now," Skye said. "They've been denied spoiling rights."

"They share a brain with my mom," Scott chuckled as he got up to snag the clipboard from Simmons — since she was done but hadn't made a move to give it to the witnesses. "Let me know if you need the name change paperwork," he called out to the pair on his way out.

Skye leaned over to bump Mack's shoulder. "Best future AD ever."

"Well as I understand it, that's your decision anyway, Director," he shot back.

"Not if you listen to the guy picking out everyone's future titles," she countered with a laugh.

"Well. _Marriage_." He grinned. "He'll make a lovely first lady or whatever that title works out to, but you did that to yourself."

"It would be more entertaining if everyone didn't just … _accept it._ Even Fury was playing along."

Mack broke into a laugh at that. "Well, that's it, then. You've got your life all planned out. Hope the little girl likes playing in the Triskellion and terrorizing baby agents."

"She'll probably be heading up the army of secret agent girls," she agreed.

"See? Already planning for a better, brighter Marvel," Mack teased as he pushed a few papers her way when he was done with them. "I can already see her now. All the green agents gotta get through the obstacle course with a baby strapped to their front."

"Why not?" Skye replied. "I'm pretty sure her dad can do it."

"Oh. More than pretty sure," Mack chuckled, one arm around her shoulders as they headed out together.

* * *

 _October 19_

 _Howlett Manor_

* * *

Kate found her way down to the room where Clint was early that morning with a little smile, catching Charles before he could get started for the day.

"So, any word yet?" Kate asked, then smirked. "Or words?"

"Nothing yet — nothing more, I should say," Charles said with a sigh.

Kate let out all her breath. "I really thought he'd step it up…" She reached into her hoodie pocket and pulled out an envelope. "I brought the picture Hank wrote on for us if he needs something, I dunno, physical?"

"That might help," Charles said. "Information on its own doesn't seem to be doing it anymore, incentive-wise."

"He's being stubborn," Kate said, rolling her eyes.

"He's not trying to attack anyone anymore," Charles said.

"Which I'm sure the boys appreciate," Kate said. "Mind if I come in with you? I've been working on my disappointed pregnant lady pout," she teased.

Charles chuckled and gestured for her to follow. "Peter Quill has been staying around just in case."

Kate grinned at that and waved at Quill as she poked into the room. "Heya, Quill. Heya, Clint."

 _Hey, Hawkeye,_ Clint signed her way.

Kate dropped into the seat that Natasha usually occupied. "Thought I'd come keep you company for a while; do you mind?" When Clint shook his head, Kate grinned and made herself comfortable. "Brought you something."

Clint raised both eyebrows at that. _Yes?_

She grinned and took out the envelope to wave it in front of his face. "This," she said with a sort of triumphant crowing noise, "is the picture Hank took of our little mini-Elf."

 _Hawkeye,_ he corrected.

"Semantics," she said.

 _So let's see it,_ Clint said, but Kate snatched the envelope back and shook her head.

"Nu-uh. You know the deal. Charles's gotta okay you, and _then_ we'll tell _everyone_ what we're having: Elf or Hawkeye." She giggled. "That's how we'll announce it too."

 _I like it,_ Clint said with a little smirk.

"Thought you would," Kate said, grinning. "I mean, me and Kurt are just fine not knowing. Or maybe we'll just peek and tell no one if we can't be patient. But _you_ , mister — you aren't gonna find out anything until you start running your mouth."

 _Mean._

"Hey. Can't be a good Hawkeye if you're quiet all the time," she teased.

 _Hey, that's got nothing to do with my eyes or my aim._

"That's not the point." Kate rolled her eyes. "Come on, Clint. It's _me_."

Clint gave her a little shrug. _Nothing to say._

"That's a lie," she snapped at him, arms crossed over her chest, though Clint just rolled his eyes at her and matched her posture, arms crossed as well.

"Matched set of Hawkeyes," Quill muttered with a grin Charles' way.

"Come _on_ , Clint. How you gonna teach your niece or nephew to shoot and teach 'em how to bother Pete?" Kate teased.

Clint shrugged. _I've got time._

At that, Kate reached over and smacked him in the shoulder. "Come _on_ , Clint."

"Hey, that means I have zero competition for the fun uncle right? I'm right. I know it," Quill said, bumping Charles with his elbow.

 _Not a chance_ , Clint signed Quill's way.

"Oh. _Yeah_ ," Quill said. "They won't even try to learn how to sign after I show them _one._ "

Clint glared Quill's way. "Stuff it, Quill," he grumbled.

Quill put a hand over his mouth and made his very best surprised face. "What … what is that? Is that … do we have a _challenger?_ "

Clint glared harder before he gave Quill a sign that couldn't be mistaken.

"Hey now. That's _mine_. I own it. And with more style too."

"Don't make me hit you," Clint said.

"Yeah, that's probably not gonna happen, _less_ attractive blonde," Quill said with a shrug.

"Less attractive?" Clint snorted. "In your dreams."

"Oh yeah," Quill said, nodding. "By a stretch. And more sass too."

"Lies."

Quill made his way over to Clint and draped an arm over his shoulder. "I speak the truth, brother."

"Stop channeling Wade," Clint grumbled.

"Why would I do that?" Quill said with a brilliant grin. "It worked. Unless you think I'm your boss, which … that's fine too. I understand."

Clint pushed Quill's hand off his shoulder with a huff. "Nobody thinks that, Quill."

"I dunno," Quill said, shrugging his shoulders up. "But I did miss you, my friend. Tackles and forced struggle snuggle hugs aside." He shook his head. "I can't believe I got paired up with the _kid_ to jump you."

"Yeah, well, you both play dirty," Clint said with his arms crossed.

"Only because Logan showed us all your little tricks," Quill admitted.

"Of course he did," Clint said, shaking his head. "Gonna need new ones."

"And he'll just show us how to stop those too."

"Like you'll need it," Kate said, waving her hand before she glanced Charles' way. "Whatdya think? Surly grumpy sourpuss counts as talking?"

"If he can _keep_ talking, then I think that it qualifies," Charles agreed.

"Great," Kate said with a wide smile. "Hold that thought, boys — I gotta go find me an Elf." She grinned at Clint and gave his arm a little squeeze before she all but skipped toward the door. "Think he could come to the dining room so we can have everyone find out at once, or is that too much to ask?" she asked after a slight pause.

"How do you feel, Clint?" Charles asked. "Any inclination to run and be tackled by Quill or Logan?"

Clint shrugged. "Not really."

"Then perhaps you should go down with Mr. Quill. I'm sure that the others would like to see you."

Clint glanced toward Kate, who was giving him a huge grin and a double thumbs-up, before he let out a sigh and nodded, gesturing for Quill to lead the way down the hall — though he did look a little nervous all the same.

There were already a few people in the dining room when Quill and Clint got there, though Clint was immensely relieved to find that Natasha was one of them and quickly took a seat next to her to lay his head on her shoulder and try to halfway hide from the rest of the group, especially since it was clear from some of the knowing glances that Kate had told most of the manor residents _exactly_ what she was trading Clint for the information.

"So, Kate finally got you to talk?" Natasha asked in an undertone.

Clint shrugged. "Quill."

"Ah." Natasha almost chuckled. "Well, either way, I'm glad to hear it." When he looked surprised, she laughed and squeezed his hand. "Why do you think I ask you to talk to me when I've had a hard mission? It's relaxing."

"Oh," he said, shrugging one shoulder. "Sorry."

She rolled her eyes. "That's not … never mind," she said, waving her hand at him as he seemed to grin at her reaction.

It wasn't long after that when a _beaming_ Kate and Kurt came down to the dining room, with Kate clutching the envelope to her chest as Kurt laid out how it was going to be.

"I'm assuming the bets have all been finalized?" he asked Wade's way, and when Wade gave him a thumbs-up, he laughed. "Well, alright. Kate, what's the verdict? Elf or Hawkeye?" he asked with a twinkle in his eye as Kate split open the envelope with a little giggle.

"Looks like an Elf," she said before she popped up on her toes to kiss him, and Peter could be heard to shout 'I knew it' at the end of the table.

In an instant, the two of them were surrounded by a flurry of congratulations, as well as questions about names, though as Kurt insisted, "You're just going to have to wait until he gets here."

Kate was, of course, making sure that everyone got to see the picture of the little guy if they wanted, though she didn't give Clint the option and just sat down next to him and Natasha with her opened envelope and a grin. "Look. Cutest nephew ever, right?" she teased him.

Clint couldn't stop the little grin that started when he saw the little boy — and the look on Kate's face — before he very carefully pulled her into a quick hug and kissed the top of her head. "Perfect."

She grinned and wrapped her arms around him in a tighter hug. "If you don't help me teach him how to shoot by the time he's five, you're dead to me," she warned.

He just chuckled. "Alright."

She grinned up at him, gave him another quick squeeze, and then she was off to go tackle Peter, giving Clint a bit of a reprieve so he could breathe — though he couldn't stop smiling, either.

"Are you doing alright?" Natasha asked him in a low whisper, and he nodded lightly.

"Think so." Clint looked across the table to where Logan was clearly just… watching him. "Got good backup."

Natasha followed his gaze and smiled Logan's way for a moment before she rested her head on top of Clint's. "Remind me to thank him later."

A little smirk flirted with the corners of Clint's expression. "Nat," he said, and she picked her head up so she could see him sign, _Thank him later._

Natasha chuckled and kissed his cheek. "Yes, thank you, Clint, that's very helpful."

Across the table, Logan was watching Natasha and Clint, so he was only halfway paying attention when Kate made her way around to give him a big hug. "C'mon, Logan. You know you're excited about the mini-Elf," she teased.

"Absolutely," Logan agreed, only glancing her way as she let him go before returning his focus to Clint. "It's just what you two need."

Kate let out a huff of annoyance at being ignored, and that got Kurt's attention — though the look on his face was decidedly impish as he slid into Logan's other side. "And you know, of course, your godson will be best friends with your little girl. It's just genetic," Kurt told him.

"Only if you let him drink the water," Logan said, still only half paying attention.

"No, no. He's an Elf," Kate insisted, grinning over Logan's head at Kurt. "There's no hope."

"That … is like diametrically opposed to what he says all the damn time, isn't it?"

"You're taking it literally," Kate said, rolling her eyes. "He'll be a perfect little angel, just like his dad. With a best friend to cause trouble with who's _just like his godfather_ ," she said, enunciating more clearly as Kurt laughed outright.

Logan frowned and did as close to a double-take as she'd ever seen. "What the hell are you talkin' about?"

"Well, if you had been paying attention," Kurt said calmly, "you would know."

Logan let out a little irritated noise. "I'm paying attention."

"Really? Then what did we just say?" Kurt challenged him.

Logan stared back at him for a second, though he was still trying to keep his watch. "I ... have a job to do."

"Yes. You do," Kurt said. "Natasha and Quill are doing their jobs with Clint, and _you_ should pay a little more attention and give your godson a better look," he said, gesturing to the picture in Kate's hands.

Logan finally turned their way with a frown. "Why. _The hell_ … What would possess you?"

"Because he's an _Elf,_ " Kate said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"So he should have someone _good_ ," Logan countered.

"Exactly," Kurt said.

Logan looked between the two of them, shaking his head and knowing full well that there was no way to argue with them _right then._ "You're both ridiculous."

"Which is why you love us," Kate said brightly, giving him a little kiss on the cheek. "Now, I gotta go find your lady. She's probably eating all my blackberries."

"No," Logan said, shaking his head. "She found the last of the raspberries."

Kate let out a dramatic gasp. "Um. No. I _need_ some too," she declared as she skittered off to go claim what she said was rightfully hers, and Kurt had to chuckle as he slipped into the chair next to Logan.

"And what about you, _mein Freund_? Your little girl is just a few weeks away, _ja_?"

"That's what they say," Logan said with a nod.

"Do you have a name?" Kurt asked with a twinkle in his eyes.

"I'm not at liberty to say," Logan replied evenly.

Kurt waved a hand. "I'm sure it will be as beautiful as she is," he said before he broke into a wide grin and gave his friend a sideways hug. "I can't wait to meet her."

"It'd be nice if we had a few less loose ends by then," Logan said with a nod.

"Well, there will always be those. I'm still hoping to run Osborn through before I meet mine," Kurt said with a raised eyebrow.

Logan nodded in agreement, though when he looked toward Natasha and Clint, the two of them were pretty snuggled up and looked as if they weren't going anywhere. "Couple of 'em will be dealt with soon."

Kurt chuckled when he saw where Logan was looking. "Yes, well, Skye was telling me about Fitzsimmons getting squared away as well. It seems things are coming together nicely."

"That's not the kinda thing I'm worried about," Logan admitted. "But for those two, it's about damned time."

Kurt smirked. "I just assumed ... since with the other two it's also about damned time," he teased.

"Tasha'll take care of that," Logan decided.

"The same Natasha who refused to acknowledge that she even had feelings for him for years?" Kurt asked with an eyebrow raised.

"That was before she nearly lost him," Logan pointed out. "She's just waitin' to make sure he's clear now. I'm tellin' you, it'll be her that sets the pace faster."

"Yes, loss does seem to motivate our little group," Kurt had to admit before he put a hand on Logan's arm. "You know, you've seen how many people have come to help Clint. The whole of us will deal with any 'loose ends' as they come."

Logan let out a little grunt in acknowledgement, but didn't really say anything one way or the other.

"Apparently, Scott and Fitz have made it a point to update the perimeter security, and I'm sure when Coulson comes, he'll look it over as well."

"Yeah," Logan said. "I gotta wear a badge under my shirt when I go for a run to get in and out. Got bored listenin' to the explanation of what happens without it."

"Listen to it sometime from someone other than Fitz," Kurt suggested. "It wouldn't be quite what a certain blonde menace deserves, but it would be a start."

"Just a matter of when," Logan said quietly.

Kurt tipped his head Logan's way and let out a sigh. "Then, when it happens, I'll help — if nothing else, at least to make sure that shadow of his isn't around to tip the scales. You'll win a fair fight."

"He's not tippin' any scales, I don't care what he does," Logan replied. "I've got it."

Kurt nodded and put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Then in the meantime, have a drink with me. It's been too long, and I feel like celebrating."

"Your call," Logan replied with a little smirk as he gestured for Kurt to pick the locale.

Kurt grinned. "Well, I know where a good bottle of whiskey and an open pool table are. Come on, _mein Freund_."


	35. ACDC

**Chapter 35: AC/DC**

* * *

 _October 22_

 _Howlett Manor_

* * *

Coulson knew better than to come in through the front door of the manor, though if he had been hoping for a quiet entrance, even coming in through the kitchen wasn't going to help him when Skye knew that he was coming. She'd clearly waited up for him and was grinning ear to ear when he stepped into the kitchen — and she didn't give him any time to react before she threw her arms around him to hug him as best she could.

"How you holding up?" she asked with a grin. "All hidden away in the mountains…. Who's the terrorist now, hmm?"

"Quite a bit busier than I expected to be heading up an officially illegal organization," Coulson replied as he gave her a warm hug in return, honestly happy to see her.

"Like I said: terrorist," she teased him.

"I guess I picked up a little something from you too, then," Coulson replied with that trademarked sedate smirk. "How are you _feeling_?"

"Tired. Squished. And maybe a tiny bit spoiled. Maybe."

"Only a little bit?" he had to tease her. "Then someone is clearly slacking."

She laughed and rolled her eyes at him before she socked him lightly in the arm — and then hugged him all over again. "You know you've been gone for _forever_ , right?"

"Does it help if I tell you I brought presents?" he teased, and she broke into a little delighted laugh. She had _not_ been expecting that.

"Depends on what you brought me," she teased as she bounced slightly, and he had to shake his head as he brought out a perfectly tiny little onesie — with a SHIELD logo on it.

"And you can tell Logan she probably already has enough box tops to make Level 2," Coulson said with a smirk he couldn't hide.

Skye broke out into a laugh before she clutched the little onesie to her chest and shook her head. "You are too sweet, you know that, DC?"

"You know I really don't like that as much as the other one," Coulson admitted. "Doesn't quite roll off the tongue the same way."

"Well, it's your own fault for being promoted," Skye said, sticking out her tongue as she held up the little onesie to her stomach.

"Someone needed to be a placeholder for you while you're being so… domestic," Coulson teased.

"And it is a good, good look on me," Skye said with a crooked grin before she folded his present and set it aside. "So, what're you doing in town anyway? I mean, aside from coming to see _me_ , of course."

"Aside from visiting my favorite future director, I need to make a requisition," Coulson replied. "I'm coordinating defense strategies with the other independent districts, and frankly, I need an interpreter."

"Ah, got it," Skye said, nodding her understanding. "So you came to see my _husband_ , not _me_. I see how it is."

"No," Coulson said quickly. "I came to see you. I just consolidated two trips that would need to be made anyhow."

Skye rolled her eyes but couldn't help but grin at him. "You're just lucky you brought me presents," she teased. "Come on; he's down by the labs. Which you need to stop by anyway — for reasons."

"I brought you some chocolate too," he said quietly.

Skye turned toward him with an ever-widening grin. "Aww. Love you too, AC."

"So what's in the lab? More tests?" Coulson asked as he handed her the candy.

"No, paperwork," Skye said, unwrapping the candy bar contentedly. "Scott tricked Fitzsimmons — well, Fitz — into signing them. And they didn't back out, so we need the current director's sign-off."

"You're serious," he said, stopping in his tracks to just stare at her. "They're not chickening out?"

"Nope," Skye said cheerfully. "I mean, that _might_ have something to do with Mack helpfully-aggressively doing his best man duties…"

"When's the wedding?" he asked, caught up in it all at once.

"Valentines," she told him as she bit off a large chunk of chocolate and grinned around the mouthful. "We're just gonna churn out something awesome every month for the next little while. I'm helping Gwen see if we can smuggle her dad into Seven at some point so they can hurry up and get married too — you know that's what's been holding them up?"

"If that's all it is, I'll arrange to have him moved," Coulson said. "We did the same for Peggy after Steve was captured. Even if Seven is independent, it takes a little doing to get someone out of Marvel proper… I know Peter is probably getting anxious by now—"

"Probably," Skye repeated with a little snort.

"Alright … more anxious," Coulson said. "Speaking of which… How's Peggy settling in? She wasn't too thrilled when Steve got arrested."

"She's doing alright," Skye said with a shrug. "Actually, she's been helping with Jess and Johnny — keeping 'em company while we work on the latest Osborn-induced problem? I think they like her company, because they keep arguing with each other. Constantly."

"I take it Barton isn't coming along as well as he should then?" Coulson asked as the two of them started out toward the labs. "I was really hoping he'd be easier."

"Well, it's not … it's not like the _big_ things have been issues. He's fine getting rid of, like, commands to capture people and stuff. But Natasha's been trying to get him to crack jokes — outside of sign language. She's been with him since day one." Skye smirked his way. "Logan's got a bet going on her."

"Why does that not surprise me somehow?" Coulson deadpanned. "What's the bet — or do I want to know?"

"He's pretty sure she'll just drag him off and marry him as soon as he's back up to snuff. Or maybe before. He's pretty close now — just weirdly quiet."

"Clint or Logan is weirdly quiet?" Coulson teased with a little smirk, then waved her off when she gave him a very unamused look. "For the record, Logan's probably right. I can't imagine anyone betting against him on that. Not the way she was driven to see him when she was in his shoes. He might not know it, but he was a major motivator for her coming out of the Red Room."

"Yeah, I missed that part," Skye said. "But the way Clint told it, she didn't want to see him?" She turned Coulson's way. "That… might be part of the reason it's taken so long."

"Clint didn't know what happened to her after she went to the Raft," Coulson said. "Do _not_ take bets against Logan. He was going through Fury's files."

"Well, if I'm gonna be director, I'm gonna need those too," Skye decided with a little nod as they arrived at the labs.

Coulson paused at the door before they stepped through. "Have you decided what _his_ title is going to be?"

She paused and tipped her head to the side as she thought it over. "Not really. Mr. Mom or something — I don't know. It'll come to me."

"I somehow don't think he should be taking the tiny director into the field with him," Coulson said.

"Yeah, that's a no. She's staying in the office with me, no worries," Skye said. She grinned as they made their way into the labs before she called out, "Hey guys! I brought my predecessor with me!"

Everyone in the lab turned their way and Logan gave her a little smirk, particularly on seeing how wide Coulson was smiling at her announcement. "Haven't had the job that long," Logan said. "Tired of it already?"

"I'm really more of an AC than a DC," Coulson said straight-faced.

Logan nodded slowly once as the two of them got up to the workspace nearest Fitz — who was of course tinkering on something _new._ "Then outside of spoilin' her, what's the occasion? Or is spoilin' her enough of an occasion to pull you out of your terrorist cell?"

"Actually, I could use a translator," Coulson told him frankly. "Osborn's been making moves on the other districts that declared independence, and I'm _trying_ to coordinate and offer help."

"Let me guess — Three?" Logan said. "And are you takin' Stark with too?"

"It's very likely," Coulson nodded. "Unless you two can't be in the same plane," he had to tease.

"I'm fine with him," Logan said. "Can't speak for him, though. And better him than me if you're gonna be dealin' with the tech sector."

"I'm more worried about the Yashida clan, frankly. The tech sector is willing to help, but they're not exactly fighters — and half of them are in Osborn's pocket anyway."

"So what are you offerin' 'em?" Logan asked, crossing his arms. "And I hope you realize that unless you want them thinking I'm negotiating _for_ you, you'll have to go too."

"I don't mind going; I just need someone who can speak the language," Coulson said.

"Great," Logan said with a nod. "Then I'll tell you what you need to know on the way. There are a lot of formalities you don't want to screw up."

"I'd appreciate that," Coulson said honestly before he glanced toward Fitzsimmons. "And speaking of formalities… is there something I need to arrange or sign yet?" he asked as Skye _beamed_ with pleasure.

Fitz and Simmons both looked at each other and flushed as Simmons bit her lip. "Well, yes, if you could—"

"Of course I will," Coulson said, cutting her off. "Just tell me when, and I'll make sure you have whatever you need."

The two scientists broke into little grins at that before they fell into their usual back and forth babble as they excitedly handed Coulson a few things — half of them plans and half of them paperwork — before he finally managed to extricate himself and get to the door. By that time, they were both discussing whether or not they should have some kind of official role for Scott and Logan for as much pushing as they'd done, though that was more relegated to "What if we—" and "No, he wouldn't want—" and the like.

* * *

 _October 23_

 _District Three_

* * *

The meeting with Shingen Yashida had gone well. Although Logan had prepped Coulson as best he was able, considering the short amount of travel time between Seven and Three, he did not prepare him for the deep bow that came when Logan introduced him to the clan leader as _giri no chichi_.

For just an instant, Coulson was openly taken off-guard, though he recovered quickly when he saw the smirk on Logan's face.

As it turned out, it was great timing on their part. Yashida was well in the loop on what was happening with Marvel and how _President_ Osborn wanted to re-assimilate the wayward districts. Coulson sat back for a moment, on edge as Yashida ranted for a moment in incredibly rapid-fire Japanese, though Logan listened patiently and nodded his agreement — throwing in something himself just as rapidly that had Yashida looking furious.

The old man looked between the two visitors and finally seemed to relax before he turned to Coulson. "We would be honored to help SHIELD if it will keep our district free," Shingen said carefully as Logan kept a perfectly straight face.

"I … didn't realize you spoke English," Coulson said, a frown on his face as he looked between Logan and Shingen.

"It's a well-guarded secret," Shingen told him. "One that I'm happy to see your _musuko_ kept to himself."

From there, the conversation got very cordial very quickly — though Coulson's ability to follow directions was tested as Shingen ordered out the tea ceremony. But when it was all done with, Coulson had to shake his head as Logan led them down into the docks area. "You knew he spoke English," he said with a look of disbelief.

"And he made it clear I wasn't to tell anyone," Logan replied.

"Why doesn't he just speak English with us?" Coulson asked as Logan pointed to the restaurant they were headed to.

"It's as much a test for me as it is for you," Logan said. "Testing my Japanese — and if I can keep my word. Relax. It's over. Time to grab a bite and head back."

Coulson shook his head, still a little surprised by how everything had gone down. "What did you say to him, anyway?"

"I said a lot of stuff — gonna need to be more specific."

"What did you say to get us in the door, for one thing?"

Logan let out a sigh as the two of them took a seat at the bar, quickly ordering for them before he turned back to Coulson. "I was getting in anyhow," he pointed out. "I just gave you some credit. Set the tone a little bit. Let him know you were trusted."

"Somehow, I doubt Hill would have gotten the same treatment," Coulson said.

"Hill wouldn't have gone with me," Logan replied. "She doesn't trust anyone she can't understand on her own."

"Fair enough," Coulson said. He paused, seeming to think about it. "So, what was it that finally won him over?"

"I told him you were my father-in-law," Logan said with a shrug.

Coulson stopped and turned toward Logan in obvious surprise before he let out a breath of a laugh. "Well, that explains a few things. And it doesn't at the same time."

"It's pretty accurate, all things considered," Logan defended. "Skye sure as hell looks at you like a father."

"I won't argue it," Coulson said with a little smirk. "I don't know that it's deserved, but I won't argue it."

"It's deserved," Logan said in a weary tone. "You've acted like a dad to most of the kids in the program. Run with it."

"I am, as much as I can," Coulson said, still wearing that same smirk.

A few moments later, the first of their dinner arrived, and Logan thanked the chef before he turned to Coulson. "So. Let's see who's more of a professional. May couldn't make it all the way through dinner."

"Are you … challenging me to something?" Coulson asked, the smirk widening.

"Just buyin' you dinner," Logan said. " _Uni_ isn't until the end; don't worry."

Coulson raised an eyebrow at that but gestured for Logan to go ahead with… whatever it was he had planned.

Logan quickly told him the method to use — electing to skip the chopsticks himself unless it was between nigiri. And Coulson kept pace pretty well — all the way up until the chef very carefully handed them each the _uni_.

"What is it?"Coulson asked.

"Just eat it," Logan advised. "I'll tell you later. It's good." He didn't slow down and popped the odd, orange-yellowish-looking … stuff in his mouth, nodding to the chef as the two of them waited for Coulson to get with the program. "I told the girls they didn't have to eat it, but Skye went with it anyhow."

Coulson shook his head for a moment, knowing he'd never hear the end of it from either Skye or Logan, so he put on his straightest face and went for it, relieved when it was actually not half bad.

"See? You did better than May," Logan said, smirking.

"I hope you tell her as much. I could use a win there," Coulson smirked.

"I will," he agreed.

The rest of their dinner was quick and far less eventful, though Coulson made it all the way through. The two of them returned to Seven in good spirits from the positive meeting — and Logan filled him in on the fine details that he'd missed on the way back. All in all, Shingen had pledged his full support and granted them permission to put a small base in the district to help defend if it came down to it.

In all, Coulson was pleasantly surprised.

* * *

 _October 24_

 _Howlett Manor_

* * *

With Osborn stepping up his campaign to re-integrate the 'wayward' districts back into Marvel, it looked like the kids and victors would end up getting pulled back into a war again. While for most of them, that meant getting some training in, for the stylists, that meant making sure that they had durable uniforms again.

More than that, the little group of stylists holed up in District Seven were determined that their charges wouldn't be wearing anything like SHIELD uniforms or anything like… well, uniforms, really.

It was Jubilee's idea, at first, to individualize them. To make a statement about how the kids were doing their _own_ thing and weren't being used by any organization, not even SHIELD. And then when GoGo had mentioned that she would love to see her fiance in something like the short parade outfit she'd worn… it just sort of… took off from there.

By the time a mere two days had passed since Coulson had cemented the last of the districts against Osborn, the group of stylists had filled up five notebooks full of ideas before they settled on one for each and every person who might even _possibly_ be going out to fight. Or even just to look good.

The problem was... Seven was great for a hideout, but not necessarily for the stylist's preferred materials. Three was good for some of the more complicated things, like integrating wrist shooters into the spiders' outfits, and Four had some excellent breathable stuff, but for some of it, they would need to get materials from Marvel proper.

So, they designated Noh as their spokesperson and sent him to go talk to Coulson about what they needed. Which was why he came into Coulson's temporary office with a notebook, a list, and a sheepish look on his face.

"The other stylists and I were trying to come up with ways that we could help," he explained. "And we have designs, but the materials to make our designs safe… flame-resistant, bulletproof, that sort of thing… well, they simply aren't at our disposal. We know where to find them and who to order them from, people that wouldn't tell the president. But… We still need assistance."

"So what can I do to help you?" Coulson asked as he put aside his work and gave Noh his full attention.

"Honestly, I simply need someone to get me to the border. The Capitol would be preferable, but I have a few friends who can take me the rest of the way if need be," Noh said.

Coulson looked thoughtful for a few moments as he weighed it out. "And you say this will keep the kids safer? What about needle pricks?"

"There's a material I used for Billy Kaplan's outfit. iI's breathable, but thick. It won't let anything through," Noh said with a nod. "It's nearly impossible to tear, too."

"Maybe if you can get some of that, Stark can help create something to put on the bulletproof material. Combine the two," Coulson suggested. "I know Logan will be a little … difficult if it's too restrictive."

"Please," Noh said, waving a hand. "Jubilee will be able to work her magic easily. He's yet to be upset with her on anything this important."

Coulson nodded. "Then if it's all the same to you, Agent May will be going in as near to the Capitol as we can get. There might be a few days' lag between drop off and pick up …"

"That's actually better for my plans," Noh said, flushing slightly purple. "I had hoped to take a little time to… ah… well. With the war and everything, I never had _time_ to … change my appearance," he said, gesturing at himself. "And I believe I stick out. Significantly."

"Believe it or not, as I understand it, it's incredibly in fashion right now to lose the unnatural colors."

"That wasn't my purpose," Noh said sheepishly.

"I'm sure," Coulson said. "But my point was that it's fairly easy to get done quickly on that front."

Noh nodded. "I have a friend — the same one who did the blue dye for me — who can restore my normal skin tone in a matter of hours. I thought I would stop there while I was gathering supplies — if I had time, of course."

"Of course," Coulson replied. "Good luck. Keep a comm on you. It still isn't entirely safe for those that aren't there full-time."

"I appreciate the concern, but I don't anticipate much of an issue," Noh told him.

"No one ever does," Coulson said. "Take it anyhow."

Noh shrugged easily and nodded. "I'll be sure to do that, then. And ... I appreciate your help. It is nice to have a way to help, even if we're not exactly soldiers," he said with a little smile.

"Keep letting Logan work with you, and I'm sure that'll change," Coulson said. "Good luck."


	36. Dark Avengers

**Chapter 36: Dark Avengers**

* * *

 _October 27_

 _In the Capitol_

* * *

Most of what Noh needed to find was easy enough to get his hands on, especially with stylists like MJ and Dazzler, who had stayed in the Capitol, directing him on the best deals and the people who would keep his purchases under wraps. And where they couldn't find suppliers who were not sympathetic to Osborn, MJ did the shopping herself. They were keeping everything at her apartment, and Noh was expecting to meet up with May the next day with all that he'd gathered.

Which meant he had enough time to visit Khn'nr to get the blue removed from his skin, grinning at his old friend when he came into the shop.

"I should send you home with a few things for your kid's boyfriend," Khn'nr said as Noh folded his clothes to put them aside. "Kid's got a talent for body art, but with the whole… the state of things, I haven't seen him around."

"I'll be sure to pass them along," Noh promised. "Along with your compliments."

Khn'nr shrugged lightly. "He was a nice kid. I'm just sorry…" He gestured around as if that could encapsulate the whole problem.

"Yes, well, we all are," Noh had to agree as he lay back and allowed himself to relax as Khn'nr got to work — and he was asleep within moments. After all, Khn'nr's treatments were thorough — even down to the eyelids — and that was not something most people wanted to be awake for.

It was a couple hours later when a now far-less-blue Noh woke up again, taking a moment to stretch and admire his old color before he noticed that someone else was in the room with him. "Are you a student of Khn'nr's?" he asked politely.

The tall young man with a long, black mohawk gave him a bit of a smirk. "I'm a long-time _admirer_ , actually."

That had Noh frowning as he reached for a towel, since his clothes were folded on the bench by the young man. "Mmm."

"I didn't think stylists were so _shy_ ," the stranger said as he pushed away from the wall slightly. "Not that you have a reason to be."

Noh shook his head as he tucked the corner of the towel in and stepped forward to grab the rest of his clothes. "I prefer to know beforehand if I am going to have... guests."

"Of course," he replied. "My apologies. _But_ … you have an appointment with my employer."

Noh shook his head. "I very much doubt that."

"It's not optional," he said. "And I'd much rather not cause you any _harm_."

"Because you are a long-time admirer," Noh said evenly, picking up his clothes with a frown.

"I am," he said, smiling just a bit.

"Well, all the same, I don't recall ever making an appointment for my stay here, so I'll be going," Noh said.

"No, you didn't, but when the president saw you were in town, he decided he needed to see you."

Noh looked fairly alarmed at that. "I don't answer to this president," he said with a small glare.

"I'm well aware," he said, though he held up Noh's comm. "Which is why I'm not going to tell him about this."

Noh paused, his gaze on the comm, before he took in a deep breath, gauging the distance between him and the door.

"I'm well aware of how uncomfortable you are, and I promise to take care of you while you're here, but if you try to send me away, or run, the next attempt to see Osborn won't be nearly so pleasant."

"I don't need to be coddled, thank you," Noh said stiffly. "And I told you I'm not interested — so this conversation is at an end."

"Would you like for me to allow you to get dressed before I take you down and drag you through the streets? Have you ever even _fought_ naked?"

Noh glared at him. "I know I'm just a stylist, but I _can_ defend myself."

"I'm sure you can," he said. "But I'm not interested in your fighting skills. It's your designs."

"Then put in an order like a normal person and leave me _be_ ," Noh said angrily.

The young man let out a disappointed sigh, then shook his head before he positively threw the comm across the room, where it shattered on the stone wall. "Your _friends_ won't find you."

"Yes, I've heard that line before. And I'm sure it was told to the likes of Jessica Drew and Clint Barton, to similar effect."

The stranger smiled a little wider — more maniacal. " _I_ wasn't helping for Jessica Drew or Clint Barton."

"Nor were you helping Ronan, and I can tell you his threats were far more convincing than yours — and yet I'm still here," Noh shot back.

"Please, get dressed," he said. "Unless you'd rather I joined you."

"That will _not_ be necessary," Noh said shortly as he ducked into the small stall to very quickly get dressed — not intending to follow this new player, but at least he'd have a little dignity when he ran out the doors. Which is exactly what he did the moment he was dressed and even halfway out of the stall.

His escort was, of course, waiting for it, though, and he didn't bother playing nice as soon as Noh made a break for it. He tackled him hard, and the two of them fought on the ground — grappling for the upper hand. As soon as Noh got an arm loose, he tried to toss the guy and hit him with a right cross that unseated him. But the young man did not let go of Noh's other arm, and after he kicked out, hitting Noh in the ribs, he reached up and pressed down hard at a point above Noh's elbow that simply _hurt._

"Can't you be civilized and walk out of here with a bit of dignity?" the attacker asked over his shoulder in a rasp.

"Only if you can be civilized and put in an order like a normal customer," Noh said through gritted teeth.

"It's not just for _me_ or I'd do just that," he admitted. "If I wasn't here on _orders,_ this would be much more civil, I assure you."

"Well, that says everything about your employer, doesn't it?" Noh replied with a glare.

He laughed a bit and nodded. "It does, really and truly. So let's not bait that big-headed shark, shall we? I'm not done with him yet."

"I'm not going to help your president, and I'm not going to help you either, so _back off_ ," Noh said, trying to shift out from underneath the painful grip.

The dark-haired man let out a sigh that carried a bit of his voice before he twisted his grip a bit more and increased the pressure, which of course had Noh on the edge of vocalizing how much pain he was in. "You'll go and talk to the idiot. If you _happen_ to escape, _I_ won't shoot you in the back. How's that sound, gorgeous?"

"That is not entirely a fair proposal," Noh said, wincing.

"That's all I'm willing to offer," he replied. "You should consider my _generosity_ before I bruise your pretty new complexion too badly."

Noh frowned, trying to consider his options — which were considerably limited — before he let out what was almost a hiss and pursed his lips. "Fine," he spit out.

"Wonderful," he said with a smile. "I won't let you go until we get there. I know how skittish you pretty types are."

"Skittish is not the word I would put to it," Noh muttered as he got to his feet.

"I can think of a few much more fitting, but not in mixed company."

"You are simply lucky my wife isn't here or this would have gone very differently," Noh said.

"I'm sure," he replied dryly. "Come along now. Mind your image — or what's left of it." He took a moment to brush off Noh's shirt and readjusted his grip with a warning look. "Play your cards right and this won't take too long."

"Do not make promises you can't keep."

He let out a bark of a laugh. "I didn't promise a thing." With that, the two men made their way out of the body shop, with Noh looking more and more livid as they made their way through the Capitol until they got to the presidential estate.

"Relax, pretty boy, I doubt anyone recognizes you right now."

"Believe it or not, that is _not_ my most pressing concern," Noh shot back as they headed through the halls of the estate.

"Maybe it should be." He let out a dark little chuckle and slowed his pace a bit, though it took a moment for Noh to realize that the young man simply didn't care to be where he was supposed to go. "Let's get this over with," he said before he let out a breath and nearly kicked the door open, the full force of an absolute attitude problem on full display before he shoved Noh toward Norman and crossed the room to drop into a chair, one leg over the arm of it. "I'm _not_ running any more errands for you."

"I am _not_ an errand," Noh muttered his way.

"You _wrinkled_ my suit," he replied. "So that falls under 'errand'."

" _You_ refused to take no for an answer."

"Which is precisely why I sent him," Osborn said in a short tone. "I require your services. You'll be compensated, of course."

Noh shook his head lightly. "I'm afraid I have too much on my plate with other promises to keep—"

"Noh-Varr, your plate is _cleared_ ," Osborn said. "You will remain here until I say you can go. Frankly, I don't even care if you design anything. We just want your face."

"What on earth _for_?" Noh asked with a fair bit of alarm.

"You had the last victor," Norman replied. "As much as it irks me, people are looking to you — _still_. And I'll have you making your appearances beside my new team."

Noh crossed his arms and shook his head. "You'll not have my designs or my face or anything else, for that matter."

"I'll drug you if I have to — but you _will_ appear with them," Osborn said. "Shiklah already offered her services for the designs."

Noh glared at that. "You will _not_ give me the named credit for _anything_ that… that fiendish woman who pretends to understand any…"

"Then you have work to do otherwise, don't you?" Osborn shot back.

"I told you this was a stupid idea, right?" the young mohawked man drawled out from across the room. He wasn't even looking Osborn's way … instead gazing out the window.

"It is," Noh agreed with some heat. "Let Shiklah do your work for you. Clearly, she is _willing_."

"Ah, but we need to recreate the loyalty that certain former tributes tried to destroy," Osborn said.

"Then I'd suggest you grow a conscience and a modicum of self-restraint."

Osborn glared at him and got to his feet. "You don't seem to understand the gravity of the situation you've found yourself in. I'm not _asking_. You _will_ do this. And all you truly need to do is improve on a few old designs." With that, Osborn pushed a folder toward Noh that contained several old sketches of various tributes' parade costumes. "That is how they were best remembered. _Improve them for their replacements_."

Noh glanced through the costumes, frowning at the names he saw there. Logan and Clint were to be expected — though he was surprised to see Carol there, along with Peter (though that was a little less surprising) and Thor Odinson, of all people. "Replacements?" Noh finally asked.

"I'll send the others to you so you can get whatever … measurements or whatnot that you require," Osborn said, ignoring his question flatly.

"You're still assuming I'm going to help you," Noh said.

"As I said," Osborn repeated, "you don't have a choice. You can put your own spin on these outfits or Shiklah will. Either way, your face goes with it."

"No one will recognize me," Noh argued.

"Of course they will," Osborn laughed. "Your face hasn't changed except for the hue."

Noh shook his head. "I can't design in a vacuum. What are they used for? Show? Do they need to be viable for combat?"

"Daken will take you to your studio. You can start with him," Osborn said. "And of course they will need to be ready for _combat_."

Noh looked over at the young man who had brought him in and made a noise of distaste. "No one is going to believe he is anything like Wolverine."

"They don't know him, do they?" Osborn said. "He'll pass the public eye's test."

Noh sniffed as he took the folders with him. "You think too little of people."

"It's not that," Daken said as he got to his feet. "He just wants to wreck his image. It should be fun."

Noh shook his head. "The only image that will be wrecked is the president's," he told Daken. "Especially if he continues to find second-rate replacements and force anyone with _real_ skill into service."

"Oh, I'm sure more will be wrecked than both of you give credit for," Daken replied easily. "And we'll see how well _he_ measures up when it comes down to it. As I understand it, he generally falls _short_ of most expectations."

"In height only," Noh said with a little smirk. "You, on the other hand, exceed him in height and nothing else."

"That you're aware of," he replied coolly. "But you did _just_ meet me. You'll see how wrong you are soon enough."

* * *

 _October 28_

 _Howlett Manor_

* * *

It had been a few days since Noh left for the Capitol, and Jubilee was honestly looking forward to getting him back and throwing a good old Halloween party in the ballroom that she'd convinced Logan to let her co-opt for the night. So when May got in with _nobody else_ in her jet, Jubilee found herself standing on the grounds with her hands on her hips. "Umm. Excuse me. You forgot something crucial," she said.

May stopped and looked her up and down before she turned to go inside. "Security was tight. He's probably holed up with one of the other stylists until the heat backs off," May said. "I couldn't stick around any longer. When he calls, someone will be there to get him out. We have planes in and out all the time."

Jubilee stuck out her bottom lip in an obvious pout. "I thought things were _quiet_ lately. That was the whole _point_ of him going right now!"

"They were, and now they're not," May said slowly. "It happens."

Frustrated, Jubilee threw her hands in the air. "Yeah, but not when we have _plans_!" she said. "I was going to drape Billy and Teddy in _galaxies,_ and Noh was going to help me find them _privacy_."

"And that's very unfortunate that your little costume isn't going to be ready. I'm sure they'll live with the disappointment."

"You," Jubilee said, pointing a finger May's way, "are just no fun. At all."

May gave her a dry look and headed off to talk to Coulson. "It's not my job to be fun, Jubilation."

"Well, it _should_ be." Jubilee stuck her tongue out at May and pulled the skin down underneath her eyes too boot before she sniffed and all but stomped off to go find her fellow stylist friends. Maybe _they_ could help her make sure Billy and Teddy were _fabulous_ this year.


	37. Pirates of the Raft

**Chapter 37: Pirates of the Raft**

* * *

 _October 31_

 _Howlett Manor_

* * *

Coulson called the kids in — at least the ones that he knew were able to get out and away from the place — for what he hoped was a quick mission. All intel suggested that Osborn was pushing to take control of whatever SHIELD facilities he could, and though he'd obviously commandeered the Triskellion, he still couldn't access almost half of it.

But the Triskellion was the least of his worries. Particularly when news came in that Osborn had his sights on the Raft, SHIELD's most premier prison situated well off the coast. It held the very worst that Marvel had to offer, and Coulson had the sinking feeling that should Osborn take the Raft, every single creep there would be released into the general public wearing SHIELD uniforms.

It sounded like an Osborn move anyhow. And he didn't want to give him a chance to do exactly that.

"So, what's the deal?" Peter asked with a grin as he dropped into a seat nearby.

Coulson looked around the room and frowned. "Is this everyone?"

America waved her hand. "Fall flu bug," she said.

"Right, of course," Coulson said distractedly. "We have a situation. Osborn has a group heading to the Raft. We need to keep them from taking it over."

"Yeah, he does _not_ need to have a prison full of bullies," Peter said, making a face. "Figures he'd get along with 'em."

"It's not just bullies," Coulson clarified. "It's the worst of the worst. We keep them on the Raft because even if they broke out, they'd drown trying to get to shore."

"I was there for a while," Natasha said softly. "The security was… intense. I doubt his aim is only to set people free. Anyone who he gets his hands on…" She shook her head.

"Which is exactly why we need to stop him," Coulson agreed.

"I'm in," America said. "I haven't gotten to hit anything in a while anyway."

"I hate to ask it, but considering how many are down and out for various reasons … this is an all-hands-on-deck kind of situation," Coulson admitted, looking specifically at Clint, who had really only come with Natasha because he didn't want to be left out of the loop.

"When do we leave?" Logan asked.

"I'd like wheels up in twenty minutes," Coulson said.

Most of the kids in the room were nodding, but Clint rubbed the back of his neck. "You sure about this, boss?" he asked.

Coulson looked up at him and let out a sigh. "If Xavier and Natasha think you're okay, then I believe them."

Clint nodded, though he glanced at Scott. "Um. I'll... stick close just in case," he muttered Scott's way.

Scott nodded but was sure to reply quietly. "Whatever you want — but I doubt you'll need it."

With that decided, the group of kids headed to the jet in twenty minutes flat — with Peter, Logan, Natasha and Clint as well as America, Scott, and Betsy. Quill and Remy met them there too to round out the group — a pretty decent group, all things considered.

They flew down to District Four, touching down at the base that Coulson had negotiated with Odin so that they could borrow a boat, since Natasha was quick to point out that the facility had a good security system set up against aerial attacks. This late in the year, the seas would be a bit rougher, at the end of hurricane season, so their better bet was to come by sea if they wanted the element of surprise.

Clint was a bit subdued, still trying to convince himself that he was alright to come out on a mission — until Peter very quietly spoke up. "Does anyone know how to drive a boat? Do ... do you _drive_ boats, or is there some special word, or…?"

" _Navigate_. You navigate boats," Logan said.

Clint let out a soft grin. "I'm great at boats," he said.

"Good. You're at the wheel then," Logan said without any hesitation. "Though I ain't gonna ask how the hell _you_ got to be good at boats, comin' from the desert …"

The trip out into the ocean facility lasted for well over a day, and while the tropical storm that was building further out wasn't due to hit them yet, the seas were definitely rough. Peter turned a horrible green color early on, and America was so miserable that Betsy was half fighting her just to try and help her at least keep some water down.

By the time they got close enough to the metal island in the sea, the waves were tall enough to hide their craft entirely, and Peter had already declared five times that morning that they were going to die in the middle of the ocean and no one would ever know.

Clint got them pretty close to the little man-made island, enough that they could tie down and rappel up the long legs extending into the ocean — with Peter and America half-clinging to Natasha and Betsy respectively, though both were looking better once they were on more relatively solid ground high above the rising seas.

The group of them made their way carefully through the black metal facility, the gentle groaning as the waves hit below them much more muffled inside than out. Scott kept nearly his entire attention on Clint, who looked a bit spooked as they wandered the place, but it wasn't until they were much further in that they finally found who they were looking for.

It was obvious Natasha had been right about the place being a trap, as the surrounding halls and doors slid shut the second the group of them stepped toward the much larger, central room, where not only Osborn but his new 'Avengers' were waiting, with plenty of backup.

"What. Are. They supposed to be?" Quill asked, almost laughing to himself as he took in the group of them — five dressed-up heroes in old parade outfits.

"Knock-off versions of us, looks like," Logan replied. "Which one are you supposed to be, Quill?"

"I didn't get the memo that we were supposed to bring _costumes_ ," Quill said. "I could have dressed up as one of the Spidermen."

"You could have dressed up as _Groot_ ," Logan replied.

"Not tall enough," America said, her fists raised. "Let's just pound 'em. I have a fiance to get back to, and in the meantime, I'm more than willing to knock some heads if they're asking for it."

"You sure you ready for dat, _petit_? Still look a lil' bit green 'round de gills," Remy said.

She shot him a look. "If nothing else, I'll make sure I barf all over Norman."

"Might be better to jus' hit him. He go down jus' like de rest of us."

"I'll do that too."

Osborn looked absolutely delighted as he turned to face the group of them, grinning maliciously as his soldiers and mercenaries alike started to file in. "It's rude to keep your hosts waiting," he all but cackled. "With your reputations, I was expecting you fifteen hours ago."

"Well, you gave real crap directions," Logan grumbled.

But Osborn looked past Logan to Peter and kept right on cackling. "Spidey's looking a little green," he called out. "That's my look, Spiderman — unless you're interested in joining up?"

"Yeah, no, that isn't my kind of thing. You're a bad guy," Peter replied. "I'll stick with the good guys, thanks."

"Suit yourself." Osborn was still looking gleeful. "You can all die together. Your replacements are waiting to get their new titles anyhow," With that, he made a motion with his hand, and the 'Avengers' and soldiers rushed forward to fight.

America and Remy both rushed forward to take on the guy in the war armor — Osborn called him 'Ares' — with both fists and staff swinging to meet his rather intimidating-looking axe. The black-clad spider-knockoff rushed for Peter, but before he could get there, Clint tackled the guy, leaving Peter to deal with the purple-clad knockoff archer instead.

"We'll tag-team," Clint called out Peter's way. "Guy can't match my aim anyway. No way."

Peter nodded at that, glad to see that Clint was at least feeling a little more like himself with the fight, though Quill and Scott had the false archer, as well as a blonde girl in Carol's old suit, well in hand.

Across the room, there was a small group of young girls dressed in military fatigues, no older than fourteen or fifteen — probably the very last of a decrepit Red Room, just ripe for someone to scoop them up and fill them with new orders — and on Osborn's word, the half dozen or so of them went right for Logan.

He had been fighting soldiers, but when he saw the angry girls headed his way, he pushed the soldiers back and immediately retracted his claws before the army of girls swarmed him. He simply couldn't bring himself to hit little girls, even as they came at him full fury with fists and knives.

Natasha had been looking out for Clint when she saw the group of girls as they descended on Logan. She called out to Betsy, and the two of them ran to help Logan. They were reluctant to use deadly force, but that didn't mean they were reluctant to fight, and once they'd made an opening, they pushed Logan out of there so that Betsy and Natasha could really go to work putting the girls out of commission.

Meanwhile, Norman had gone right for Peter while Clint took on the guy in the spider suit. At first, Norman managed to get the drop on Peter, knocking him flat with a running tackle, though Peter was able to scramble out and to his feet before Norman could start wailing on him.

"You were never supposed to get out of that lab alive, Parker," he snarled out. "You or that simpering little blonde."

Peter ducked out of the way again, his eyes narrowed behind his mask as his clenched fists shook the slightest with rage. "Yeah, well, that plan didn't work so well for you, did it?" he growled out. "You leave Gwen out of this."

Norman cackled. "Oh, have I hit a nerve?"

Peter let out a shout and launched himself at Norman, laying into the guy with everything he had. Norman stopped cackling for a moment as he scrambled back and away from Peter, though he regained a bit of his sneer as he managed to put a little distance between himself and Peter and reached out to snap his fingers and in a clear, loud tone, said, "Heel, boy."

In an instant, Clint's head came up so that his gaze could find Norman, and he completely abandoned the fight with the faux Spiderman to come at Peter with a flying tackle, clearly intent on tearing the younger boy to pieces. When he saw it, Scott had to take just a moment to break free of the fake Hawkeye he was fighting to come after the _real_ Clint, and the dark-clad Spiderman tried to tackle Scott as well — until Remy got in the way.

"Don't worry 'bout dese here dime store fighters," Remy called out his way. "You jus' take care o' de real t'ing."

With Remy working the bo staff, Scott had the opening he needed to run and pull Clint off of Peter, the two of them falling into a wrestling match as Scott tried to put him in an arm hold or knock him out.

After Natasha and Betsy had subdued the girls, it was clear to Betsy that the other girl was _furious_ , glancing constantly over at Clint and Scott, who were fighting hard. Scott was slightly hampered by the fact that the soldiers around them were actively working to try and get him off Clint, though Quill was doing his best to help.

The problem was that with Scott and Quill both trying to help Clint, the fake 'Avengers' had the advantage, so Betsy and Natasha were knee-deep in fighting off Osborn's crew. Natasha tore into the fake archer in particular — probably letting off a little steam — while Betsy pulled the black-clad spider off of Peter and laid into him as well. But they were barely keeping their heads above water, and they knew it.

* * *

Logan, meanwhile, had been cutting through soldiers headed his way to try and help America when the soldiers pulled back and he found himself surrounded by black-clad mercenaries with all sorts of nasty weaponry — everything from throwing stars and nunchucks to sai and tanto blades. He retracted the claws quickly and drew the katana he'd brought along with barely enough room to block the first of many blows as the mercs began to push him further away from the battle.

It took him a lot longer than it should have before he realized that he had been separated from the rest of the harder he fought to get back to them, the more expertly they diverted him and pushed him away from the other ex-tributes until they were outside.

Logan knew he was in trouble as he dodged yet another attack from the idiot wannabe in his stripes holding the chains. The railing outside the complex hanging over the rolling waves was slippery, and the grated catwalk wasn't much better, not to mention the deafening sound of the ocean waves battering the pylons holding the island high over the sea.

When he slipped and nearly lost his footing, Logan used the opportunity to kick the legs out of the guy that was causing him the most trouble, and he almost didn't hear the clunk as the merc hit his head before tumbling into the water below. From the grated catwalk, he fought back against the men attacking him as they forced him into a corner and then out over the waves to avoid a killing blow that would have taken his head off neatly.

He found himself with his katana sheathed as he hung from a soaked rope, with mercenaries on one side and a sheer drop to the sea on the other. The way the waves were crashing against the pylons was all the evidence he needed that falling into the water was not the way to go. Instead, he began to climb the rope as the creeps shot at him.

They were unable to correct for the wind, though, and most of what they were lobbing or shooting his way caught in the gale as Logan tried to ignore them. When he got to the top of the rope and clambered over the railing, he only had a few moments to breathe before the 'Dark' Wolverine started the offensive.

The two of them didn't need to speak — which was good, because the wind was howling as they faced off in the middle of an incoming storm. A flicker of movement at the rail caught Logan's eye, and as he drew the katana again, he swung it around to hack the rope in half, sending the mercs that had been following him straight down into the water.

By the time he'd raised his blade again, Daken had already lunged forward and was pushing Logan further away from the massive center of the island, out onto the thin railing that was soaked with seawater. It was bad enough that the wind was pushing both of them, and simply keeping the swords on track with their path was hard enough, let alone trying to land a hit. But neither of them moved in any direction but further out.

Daken had tried to shout something at Logan, but Logan simply couldn't hear him over the wind, and it was a lucky hit when Daken's katana glanced off Logan's blade to slice through Logan's left bicep nearly to the bone.

He was out an arm — or the better part of the strength behind it — as Daken pushed him farther out still to where the railing became more flimsy-looking. Before long, he had Logan in a crouch, trying to push back the katana that was aimed to slice through his neck.

In a desperate move, Logan kicked out and pushed up at an angle, and the taller Daken tumbled right on top of him, though he didn't miss the opportunity to strike Logan in the throat and try to disarm him. The two of them wrestled a bit — and the newcomer used dirty tricks to try and push Logan off the catwalk, though his action worked against him too, and both of them found themselves dangling from the catwalk with the sea and the remaining ninjas boiling angrily below them.

Logan tried to simply climb up, but of course Daken didn't miss the opportunity to try and take a cheap shot, and it wasn't too hard for him to reach out across the short expanse to kick him where his arm was injured.

Dangling from one hand, Logan shook his head at the situation. Ropes billowing in the driving wind and rain, high seas, swords ... and he only wanted out of it and onto dry land. He gave up trying to do this the way Daken clearly wanted, and instead, he popped the claws on his injured arm and shoved them through Daken's throat, drawing down and slicing through bone, muscle, and sinew before the fake Wolverine's grip failed — finally — and the cocky creep fell into the sea below.

Logan tried to pull himself up, but he simply didn't have the strength in his arms. Instead, he found himself trying to catch one of the rain-soaked ropes to slide down to the railing below and force his way back inside if necessary. But when he found himself on the catwalks again, he still had the mercs to contend with. Before they slipped away, they were sure to empty their guns — and though some of them hit their mark, it only allowed Logan to slide down to the grated pathways and simply sit. He was wounded, worn, and in a state of sensory overload as the rain intensified and the wind continued to blow.

* * *

The fight inside the facility was still raging as loud as the storm outside. Natasha and Betsy had come to help America and Remy, as the hulking Ares was holding his own against attacks from America that would have been devastating, especially with her brass knuckles. And while America was pounding on Ares with both boots and fists, he had managed a few solid hits that had her favoring one side and wincing with every breath. Though Remy was fast with his bo staff, the soldiers seemed to have concentrated on him after he knocked out the blonde girl on the Dark Avengers team with a wink and a _thump_.

Peter had recovered from the surprise attack from Clint long enough to run and help with the fight against the black Spiderman, though that was derailed quickly when there was a crash, and anyone who could afford to look up did so to see that part of the Raft had caught on fire. The soldiers in that area had paused to fight the flames for a moment, but their work was quickly derailed when Norman returned, this time on a glider and with those familiar, beeping bombs.

"Oh no," Peter said, turning to aim his wrist shooters. "I am _not_ sinking in this rusty tin can."

He took a couple shots at the glider that Norman ducked and dodged until, at last, Peter was able to shoot it down. In the smaller space of the facility, the glider didn't have far to fall, and Norman used it as momentum to launch himself Peter's way, two more bombs in hand. Peter had to throw himself sideways and flatten himself against the ground to keep from being blown to pieces. Part of the wall crumbled and sank, and those inside could hear the wind and waves shrieking through the hole Osborn had now created, some of the spray of rain and sea hitting Peter's neck as he stood up.

"Are you really gonna take this whole place down with us just to win?" Peter shouted.

Osborn cackled at the question. "It would be a fitting end, wouldn't it? You and me, the raging winds, the open ocean. Think of it!"

Peter shook his head. "You really are insane," he mumbled out quietly before he ran forward to tackle Osborn.

He was building up a good rhythm to pound Norman down when something hit him across the shoulders and sent him flying, and he looked up in time to see that Clint had managed to wriggle free and was holding his bow like a staff, Scott was running to catch up to him with a slight hitch in his step as he held his side. This time, when Scott tackled Clint, Peter ran to help, and Natasha called out to them both. "The arrow with the purple and gold tips!"

Peter and Scott glanced at each other before Pete pulled the arrow out of the quiver and recognized the needlelike tip. He pushed it into the side of Clint's arm, and the archer stilled, but by the time both of them looked up again, Norman was gone.

It looked like Venom and Ares has followed their boss's retreat, though both Scott and Peter were surprised to see that the 'other' Wolverine was missing entirely. The combined forces of the lady assassins in the group as well as Remy and America were simply too much for Norman's forces to handle, and Peter winced as Betsy cleaned her sword and sheathed it.

Still, they were vulnerable. Clint was unconscious, and Scott was holding his chest and wincing every time he moved. America was a matched set to Scott, though she favored the other side, and her uniform had been torn under the ribs so that the others could see the deep purple bruising.

But Osborn's forces has retreated, whether because of the fight or the storm or both. And the little group of Tahiti fighters made their way outside, with those who were relatively uninjured helping the others.

They found Logan outside in the rain, lying on the catwalk with one arm dangling over the edge. Quill simply reached down to pick him up and carry him down to their boat as the rain finally started to subside, though Peter and America both were eyeing the ocean with deep suspicion.

As they got settled into the boat, Scott started calling out directions. "Natasha, make sure Clint is restrained. We don't need him trying to shipwreck us in the middle of this," he said, and though Natasha shot him a look, she also started to pull rope out of a grappling arrow. "Betsy, America's ribs are going to need your attention. I'll take care of Logan."

"And then I'm coming after you," Betsy warned before she went to help America, who already looked green.

Scott ignored the jibe and looked around the group. "Does anyone else know how to navigate?"

"I can." Natasha looked up from her task. "But someone will need to look after Clint."

"I'll make sure he's okay," Peter promised, and the two spiders shared a quick nod before Natasha moved to the wheel.

When they got back to dry land and immediately loaded up on the blackbird, Scott was quick to report back to Coulson in surprising detail what had gone on and what the general outcome was — including his personal opinion that everyone that had been cut on the mission would need serious antibiotics after all the sea water and dirty soldiers and blood.

To Scott's surprise, no one argued with him on anything when they got back, and those that needed medical intervention all seemed ready to go to sleep as Henry and Simmons worked them over. As soon as he himself was attended to, he went straight to Charles and Coulson — to share a word with them in private away from the rest of the team so he could inform him of the obnoxious trigger phrase Osborn had used on Clint.

"We didn't get all the triggers, professor," he said quietly, the frown obvious even before he started.

"What happened, Scott?" Charles asked, the concern lining his features. "How bad was it?"

Scott sighed. "Clint turned on Peter, but I don't think it was targeted. It was more like he was trying to protect Osborn, and Peter was the one fighting him," he explained. "But he was doing his best to kill Peter before I got there — and he tried to take me and Quill out, too, once we got in the way."

For a moment, Charles just watched Scott, though Coulson was already frowning, since he knew this from the radioed report. "Did you catch the phrase?" Charles asked at last, quietly.

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about," Scott said, sighing out all his breath as he fell into a bit of a glare. "He… well, snapped at Clint, and … then he said, 'heel, boy.'"

Coulson let out a noise that sounded like he couldn't hold it back, but Charles simply stared at Scott for a moment, the frown on his face deeper than anything Scott had seen before. " _Heel?"_ he finally breathed out. "He told him to _heel_?"

Scott nodded slowly. "That's what he said."

From there, Charles got incredibly quiet, and the only outward indication that he was beyond angry was the way that his face had started to partly morph between rage and disgust. Scott was sure that he'd never seen Charles at a loss for words like that, but the irritated tapping of his fingers as he clearly ran through it in his head was a dead giveaway.

"Be prepared for a hard day when you are healed from your injuries," Charles said in a dangerous tone. "We will finish this and remove that … _idiotic_ trigger one way or another."

"As soon as you need me," Scott agreed, frowning Charles' way. "Are you alright, Professor?"

"Far better than what Norman Osborn will be should I get a hold of him," Charles replied with a hard look in his eyes before he let out a sigh and looked up at Scott with his usual kind, understanding smile. "I'm just a bit angry, that's all, Scott. There isn't much I can do about it right now, though, I'm afraid."

"We'll get started working as soon as we can," Scott said quickly. He paused and looked Charles' way for a moment. "I didn't want to tell you over the radio. It's… not a phrase anyone should use, and I wanted to keep the circle small."

"Beyond that, it's entirely possible that it could have triggered him again," Charles said. "You did the right thing."

Scott nodded thoughtfully, then looked up at Charles. "I'll see you soon, professor."


	38. Join the Family

**Chapter 38: Join the Family**

* * *

 _November 3_

 _Howlett Manor_

* * *

When America sat down next to Kate, Kurt, Moira, and David for breakfast, she let out a little groan as she did so. "Shoot," she muttered. "Still sore. Really?" She looked down at her chest and side as if her own body had betrayed her and tutted, then grinned over Kate's way. "Guess that's what happens when you take on a guy who thinks he's the god of frikkin' war."

Kate rolled her eyes at America. She'd already heard about Osborn's new 'Avengers' — from America herself, no less — but then, America had been on some serious morphine for her bruised and cracked ribs at the time, so Kate was just going to have to put up with a retelling, apparently. "The way you tell it, you took him down by yourself."

America grinned wider. "Well, you do have to give Betsy and Remy _some_ credit. They were good for the assist."

"Uh-huh. And the stab wound that did him in had nothing to do with Betsy," Kate said with a little smirk.

"Doesn't really count if Remy and I toppled him and he was more or less out by the time she ended it," America countered, one eyebrow raised.

"But she did end it," Scott said dryly with a smirk from across the table. "Even if it was a great team effort."

"Don't mess with my spotlight, Summers," America said good-naturedly, grinning over his way. "Just because you spent the whole thing in a wrestling match."

"We were all where we were needed most," Scott said.

"And I'm kind of very glad he was?" Peter pointed out. "Because I didn't really enjoy getting pounded on. At all."

"I shouldn't have let him get you at all," Scott said with a frown. "But at least he didn't do any real lasting damage."

"Yeah, no harm done, mostly," Peter agreed, nodding. "And hey, it was Norman, not you or Clint. Let's get that straight." He looked across the table and then paused and added, "Well, and that weird Daken creep, but he's gone now."

"Yeah, Nat did seem pretty pleased about _that_ much," Kate said with a light shrug. "Though the fact that Clint's all holed up in his room moping isn't helping her mood."

"Sorry about that," Scott said, and Kate rolled her eyes.

"Not your fault."

"Besides, everyone else was a little busy," America said with a grin. "Logan totally ditched us to kill his doppleganger."

"No idea how many stitches he ended up needing from that. It looked _bad._ But it was still the least bloody I've ever seen Logan after a fight like that — though it might have been the rain more than it was avoiding the blood," Scott added with a shake of his head. " Maybe we should make a new rule that he can't go into a fight unless it's going to be raining heavily at the time."

"Well, rain and waves," Peter amended. "There was a _lot_ of water." He looked a bit queasy at the memory. "If I hadn't been terrified, I would've been seasick all over Clint."

"That would have been fair payback," Logan told Pete with a little smirk as he sat down with his coffee, moving very stiffly with one arm in a sling. "You over all that nonsense yet?"

"Mostly," Peter said. He smiled a bit to himself. "Gwen says turnabout is fair play, though, seeing as she got hit with the flu and I didn't."

"Well, misery loves company," Kurt said with a soft and knowing smirk, still barely over the ick himself, though he had one eyebrow quirked as he looked over at Logan. "What were you doing out on the sea?"

"Had to go out after that Daken guy," Logan said with a shrug and a wince. "Didn't want him slippin' off after sending a flock of little girls after me. Dirty damn trick. He knew I wouldn't hit a little girl."

"No, you had to make sure he slipped _off_ the boat," America said, smirking.

"He's dead. I'm sure of it," Logan promised. "And we weren't anywhere near the boats."

"Might as well have been. I saw the state of the rigging," America countered.

"Rigging?" Kurt repeated, looking over at Logan as he started to narrow his eyes. He leveled a finger his way. " _You_ ... you went out on the _open sea_ to have a fight in the _rigging_ — _WITHOUT ME_?" He gained speed and volume with every word.

Logan stared back at Kurt as he got angrier. "It ... was … a mercenary fight," Logan defeded. "Not a pirate fight."

" _In the rigging!_ " Kurt looked flabbergasted. "What do you think the definition of a pirate is if not a mercenary? Hmm?" And little David Xavier, who had crawled up into his lap, was pointing a finger at Logan too, with great enthusiasm, to say, " _Wogan, WHY?_ "

At that, Logan let out a little laugh and decided to roll with it. "Well, yeah, but it wasn't until after we fell out of the catwalks." He met Kurt's eyes with a grin. "Big waves and wind. I'm a little guy. It happens."

"And you _didn't take me_?"

"I _didn't know_ there was going to be an Elf-approved playground when we left," Logan defended. "And if you had gone, you probably would have been inside with everyone else. They pushed me away from the group."

"That's true," Peter spoke up. "We were all stuck in there — and then suddenly, whoops, no Logan around. And the place was also on fire until the waves got in, so there was that blocking our path to find him and play swashbuckles." He grinned Kurt's way broadly.

"Wasn't _swashbuckles_ ," Logan said Peter's way with a warning look. "There were throwin' stars, arrows, guns, and katanas."

"Swordfighting. In the rigging. On the seas." Peter grinned. "Stop me where I'm wrong."

But Logan stared back at him, only to finally let out a sigh and attempt to go back to his coffee.

"I can't believe it," Kurt said, shaking his head. "We've been fighting for _years_ and we finally get a real pirate — or _mercenary_ — adventure _and I'm not there!_ " He threw his head back to look up at the ceiling with a long, loud noise of frustration as David enthusiastically joined him with a "Wogan, WHY."

But Logan had dipped his head down a bit and half hid behind one hand, to David's delight. "Bum luck?" Logan suggested quietly.

"The worst possible luck," Kurt agreed, still shaking his head.

"And it was in the Caribbean too," Skye supplied with a perfectly amused expression. "Injustices all around."

"The _Caribbean_?" Kurt looked even more flabbergasted, but David reached up one little hand to put it over Kurt's mouth.

"Hush, Kuwt. Baby here," he said, looking over at Skye with wide eyes.

"Not yet, sweet boy," Skye corrected with a little laugh. "But soon."

"I dunno; the 'hush' was pretty good," Peter muttered.

"That's what Logan says to him to get him to settle down," Kate said, smirking. "He must think it works on everyone."

"And clearly, it does," America said with a smirk to match, looking over at Kurt, who seemed to have no wind left in his sails when he was too busy laughing at David, who had moved on to making silly faces with Hunter as he crawled from one lap to the next.

"Blame Coulson," Logan suggested quietly to Kurt. "He's the one that arranged it."

"I think I'll blame Steve. He's the one who brought the flu home," Kurt chuckled.

"If what Coulson said about the place was right?" Skye said. "There is every possibility that we'll have to go back at some point. So... It'll be blue skies and calm seas when you go."

At that, a little light shone in Kurt's eyes. "That," he said, "sounds _wunderbar_."

"No guarantees of piracy," she warned.

"Ah well. I'll just have to lay out the right bait and take what adventures come," Kurt said with an impish grin Logan's way.

"I … had _nothin' to do_ with what we ran into out there," Logan defended.

"Oh, I know," Kurt said. "But the trouble does seem to find you, and if you're going to be fighting _in the rigging_ , you could at least bring me back and act as bait."

"There was that guy dressed like you, though," Peter said quietly, earning a glare from Logan.

"Yeah, that part was weird. The costumes," America agreed. "Total knock-offs. Very flashy, but they were _so, so_ easy to punch and tear through."

"They were pretty crappy impersonators," Logan agreed.

"Bet Osborn's glad he debuted them privately first, or he'd have to explain how he's two down already," America said with a crooked grin.

"And of course there is no photographic proof of this fashion theft," Jubilee said with one eyebrow arched as she looked over the group. "So you'll have to tell me all about it."

America grinned Jubes' way and threw an arm around her shoulder. "Don't worry. I'm engaged to GoGo. I think I can even use the terminology at this point," she said in a stage-whisper. "By the time your line partner gets back, you can tell him the thread count."

"Keep talking like that, and I'm going to hold you personally responsible for his return."

"Hey, I'd go get him myself, but I can't fly," America said with a grin. "And he hasn't called in, so… what, I can go find him and hit him for taking so long if you want?"

"We'll figure out where he is, then send in, like … Agent May with no coffee. That'll show 'em," Jubilee said with a little smirk.

"She doesn't like coffee," Logan pointed out.

"No tea," Skye said. "And no Coulson," she added quickly, this time with a little twinkle in her eyes.

"And have whoever's on the other side say she can't hit worth a damn," Logan added.

"Problem solved," Skye said, snapping her fingers.

* * *

 _November 4_

 _In the Capitol_

* * *

When Osborn returned with his so-called 'Avengers', Noh didn't even bother to hide his amusement at the state of them. "And here you dismissed me when I said they were shoddy replacements," he said haughtily.

Osborn gave him a look. "I barely put up with that kind of attitude from Daken; I'm not putting up with it from you."

Noh shrugged openly. "You hired me as a stylist. I _can_ tell the difference between an original and a knockoff."

Osborn shook his head to himself and waved the remaining 'Avengers' over. "Their suits offered them no protection."

"You used the materials I suggested?" Noh asked. "They are _resistant_ , not immune. I can only do so much if your players cannot dodge."

"It needs to be better," Osborn said. "Just the stupid claws alone …"

"Ah, well, that, I cannot help you with even if I cared to," Noh said honestly. "Even SHIELD never found anything to stand up to those."

"SHIELD _made them_ ," Osborn said with clear frustration. "They have to know how to stop it."

"The point was to make something that would not be stopped," Noh explained patiently. "I'd say they achieved that aim."

"And we're down our replacement," Osborn muttered.

"Knockoff," Noh corrected under his breath.

"We'll find another one," Osborn said. "In the meantime, we have an appearance — and a call for volunteers — to make. I'm sure there are plenty that would like to join our little team."

"Oh yes," Noh nodded with false attention. "The self-same ones we had restraining orders against when I worked in the Games."

"Yes, those same ones," Norman agreed before he turned to face the group as a whole. "I want you all to find your new partners, come up with a reasonable way to introduce yourselves to the public at large. I'd like a few rescues on film. Something to discredit those irritating little … urchins."

The remaining 'Avengers' — all three of them — didn't exactly seem interested in anything like 'partnering,' though, as Bullseye took one look at the black-clad spider, rolled his eyes, and headed down the hallway instead to where he was staying.

Which just left the blonde posing as 'Captain Marvel', who made her way over to Noh with a little smile. "I do like the design, but it's tight in the shoulders," she told him sweetly. "I can't pull back for a full punch."

"I'll change the material," Noh told her, paying her very little attention — though that changed after Osborn had left and they were the only two remaining.

She grinned his way and slid into his space. "No, I think you should remeasure," she said silkily as she draped one arm around him that he quickly shrugged off.

"I only have to measure once," he said shortly. "I make my living on fast and accurate notations."

She let out a little hum of annoyance when he stepped around her and headed for his studio, following after him with a more determined look than before. He'd only just stepped into the room before she grabbed his shoulder to turn him to face her. "You are _so_ missing the point, handsome," she said, pushing him with both hands on either shoulder until he felt the wall at his back.

Noh narrowed his eyes at her. "This is still _my_ studio. Get out."

In answer, she grinned somehow wider and took a step closer, which was one step too close for Noh. In an instant, he pulled a move right out of Logan's training handbook and knocked her feet right out from underneath her. Before she could get back up — and it looked like she was going to — he grabbed her right arm and pulled it behind her back in a hold that would have been difficult to break out of without breaking something.

"You _were_ warned," Noh told her sharply, but that had her laughing quietly, almost delightedly.

"I didn't know you could _fight_ ," she said in a tone that had him double-checking to make sure she couldn't break the hold.

Noh narrowed his eyes further. "I don't broadcast it," he said quietly. "But if you ever come into my studio uninvited again—"

"Promises, promises," she purred out.

He glared at her before he finally released his hold on her arm and took a step back. "Get out."

Karla straightened up, completely delighted, and reached up as though she were going to trail her fingers over his arm, but he stepped sideways and gave her a glare that had her laughing. "Alright, alright. Don't get all… huffy." When he continued to glare at her until she headed for the door, she laughed again. "Does the Goblin know you're so… well-trained?" she asked, pausing in the doorway.

Noh felt his mouth tighten. "I simply took self-defense classes."

"Has anyone told you you're a horrible liar?" she asked happily, and when his response was just to look even more furious, she smiled sweetly. "You know, I _could_ keep it just between us," she said with her tongue between her teeth as she raked her gaze over him.

He stiffened and frowned harder. "As I'm sure you're aware, I'm already spoken for," he said flatly.

"And if you weren't?"

"The answer would still be no."

"Shame." She let out a little breath. "Still, it could be fun, having you as a teammate. I'm sure you're fun to watch when you _work_."

"Get _out_."

Karla smiled sweetly at him and slipped out the door with a little hum, and he was sure to close it behind her before he pressed his fingers into the spot between his eyebrows on his forehead. That… had not gone well.

* * *

 _November 5_

 _Howlett Manor_

* * *

Charles hadn't been wrong; the final sessions with Clint were rough, and not just because it was taxing to keep Clint contained. It was hard hearing that obnoxious trigger phrase over and over again.

It was obvious that it was wearing on Charles, too, especially after one session where Clint had managed to throw Scott off and ran for Charles, only to stop in front of him and just ... wait. Scott had looked up to see a pained sort of look on Charles' face with Clint standing in front of him waiting for more orders ... before Clint came back to himself and realized what he was doing. He could hardly look at Charles as he sat heavily back down in his seat, and Charles looked deeply troubled to be the source of such trouble.

"I think," Charles said heavily, "perhaps we should break here for lunch — and a rest."

"Yeah," Clint said quietly.

The one thing they had going for them was that Clint was free to roam the manor, of course, since it was unlikely he was going to hear that phrase in the house. No one used it on the mangy yellow lab, who Clint had started calling Cupcake as a joke for the look on Natasha's face, but the name was sticking, especially since Natasha was just glad to see him joking around. And no one used it on Ella, since she was a girl. Though that news wasn't exactly helping Clint's mood, since it meant he'd had to have _that_ conversation with Charles, about how the family _pets_ weren't trained the same way he was.

Bobbi had stopped by to offer her help and frowned when she saw the expressions on the faces of all three men as they filed out. "I'm not sure it'll make you feel any better," she said, "but it's not just you."

Clint raised an eyebrow her way, and she let out a sigh as she recognized the expression. When they'd been dating, she would have either kissed him or sparred with him until he stopped looking like that, and even now, she just wanted to _help_.

"I just mean ... it's a tried and true strategy of dehumanization," Bobbi said. "The idea is total humiliation, so that even if you know what the problem is, you don't want to address it and let other people know… well." She gestured to the three men, and their expressions that said it all. "Viper did the same thing to Logan; I'm sure Whitehall is just picking up on her weird 'pet' thing."

"Oh?" Charles asked.

She let out a sigh. "It was hard to watch, and I just didn't ... I didn't want to put it on record. But she used to do it to Logan almost constantly," Bobbi admitted. "Pet his hair and have him sit at her feet."

Scott and Charles shared a look for a moment before Charles pursed his lips. "I wish you would have told me this sooner, Bobbi. That would certainly explain a few things."

Bobbi nodded. "Whitehall seemed to think it was a great touch, since… no one wants to try to desensitize themselves to that kind of trigger."

"Still," Charles said with a small frown. "If it was never addressed…"

Bobbi nodded. "Yeah, I'm sure that should probably get looked into. Aside from the fact that I _know_ Skye would appreciate it, David likes to pull on Hunter's hair, and I'm sure their little one will do the same thing. Even if pulling … it's not the same as the _petting_ that went on, but it might be too close if he's having a bad day. She wasn't always _nice_ about it."

Charles nodded. "I'll talk to him."

Bobbi smiled at that and then looked toward Clint, who was quietly watching the entire interaction, a strange sort of frown on his face as he thought it over before he slipped out the door. But … she needed to talk to Charles. So she let him go.

Still, Natasha always kept an eye out for when Clint left the sessions so she could make sure he was never alone, not only as a safety precaution but because he was pretty darn miserable, so when he came out with _that_ look on his face, she slid right up to him and slipped her arm through stepped in closer and kissed him properly, snaking her arms around his waist to pull him closer, refusing to let him go, only pausing to breathe, pulling him as tight as she could as she tried to give him something to distract from what he was feeling.

When, finally, she stepped back, he looked a little less like the world was ending, and she hooked her arms around him to keep him there.

"So, we need to pick a place to go," she told him after a moment.

"Go?"

"Yes." She nodded and absently straightened his collar where she had messed it up — or he had; it was equally likely. "I think it would be nice to honeymoon on the beach, but it seems like that whole fiasco with the Raft isn't sitting well with anyone, so maybe we could go into the mountains instead."

He stared at her for a long moment. "Tasha, wait. Back up," he said at last, holding up a hand in between the two of them. "Did you mean to put the honeymoon plans first or — don't I get a ring or something?" he asked, the slow smile spreading over his face.

"Well, obviously," she said, waving a hand. "We can go anytime you want and get it done; I just think we should _go_ somewhere and get away from all this. As soon as you're done with Charles, of course."

He was grinning at her with a look of pure disbelief. "No, really. This is just some kind of weird carrot-stick thing to get me through—"

"Clinton Francis," she said, and he stopped short. "I do _not_ joke about things like this."

He let out a laugh of pure shock before he pulled her into a hug that turned into a spin that turned into a long kiss. "Alright," he said, still looking shocked. "When?"

"Whenever you want," she said.

"Alright, but you gotta let me do it proper," he said. "We need rings. I gotta get Katie to at least be a witness—"

"Whatever you want," she said with a nod.

He laughed and spun her around again before he kissed her one more time.

* * *

 _November 6_

 _District Seven_

* * *

It had taken Clint and Natasha all of a few hours the previous day to find a place in the district the get a simple set of rings, and they'd brought some paperwork home to finish up that night, so when morning came around, everything was all set.

Clint had rushed off to go find Kate and Steve, so it fell to Natasha to get Kurt and Logan — since she was reasonably sure she would find them together. They tended to practice their sword fighting about this time of the morning.

Sure enough, when she peeked in on the ballroom, there they were. It looked like they were just getting started, too, so she called out, "Before you work up a sweat, I need a favor."

"Yeah? What kinda favor?" Logan asked. "Pretty sure they don't want me in there any time soon."

"This is unrelated," Natasha said, waving her hand. "I need to borrow the two of you for about an hour out at the lake, if you please."

"Sure," Logan said, turning to Kurt as he shrugged his agreement. "What's going on?"

Natasha smirked his way. "Now, see, if I tell you that, you might tell someone else," she said, though she tipped her head toward Kurt and not Logan. "Just dress nicely — and Kurt, if you could bring whatever it is you need to…"

"Whatever I need?" Kurt asked.

"Yes," Natasha said, and Kurt raised an eyebrow at that.

"Right. Well, I'll just dress up for this mystery party. That I know nothing about. Because I'm so _known_ for leaking secrets," Logan drawled out.

"You might," she teased, already slipping back out the door. "It's more Kate and Steve that I'm worried about."

"Oh, well, you got no hope there," Logan agreed. "How nice do you _need_?"

She shrugged. "I don't know," she said. "Just look nice. I'll be in a dress, and you know I never do that if I can help it."

"Fine," Logan grumbled. "See you in a little bit."

She smirked and waved, leaving the two of them behind for the moment as Kurt shook his head at Logan with a bemused sort of look. "I _think_ we've just been invited to something official, but it's so hard to tell," he said, unable to hide the smile.

"I'm sure we'll find out soon enough," Logan said. "Kinda wondering why it took 'er this long."

"I think we got the rough end of the deal. If Clint had been the one to get us, we'd know the whole thing," Kurt chuckled.

"Which is why she's probably got him trussed up with a gag in his mouth somewhere."

Kurt laughed out loud. "Oh, I'm sure."

It was about half an hour later that everyone who had been asked made their way to the lake. Kate and Clint were the first to get there, both in purple, though Kate's was a lighter purple for the dress, and Clint just had a tie to go with his very basic suit. They hadn't had time to ask the stylists for anything — and hadn't wanted to — so it was more or less what they had in the closet. The same was true of Natasha in her red dress and Steve with a red tie.

When Natasha saw Logan and Kurt making their way over, she smiled and slipped over to them. "Kurt, if you could just… wherever it is you'd like to stand. We haven't really planned anything."

"Am I mistaken in assuming you need an officiant?" Kurt asked gently.

"Right, so wherever you want to stand, I'll have Logan walk me to you, and we've got our two witnesses," Natasha listed off. "That is how this works, yes?"

"Yes," Kurt replied with a growing smile. "That's exactly how this works."

Logan just watched as Kurt walked off. "I'm walking you?"

"That's what I said," she nodded.

"Why?"

"Because I asked you to." She raised an eyebrow at him. "Are you questioning my choices for my own wedding?"

"Nope," he said, shaking his head as he offered her his arm. "Just your sanity."

She rolled her eyes at him. "There's no one I want besides you to do this," she said. "You're my first and only choice — so take me down there, would you?"

"Then I guess this is the part where I'm ethically bound to remind you that you don't have to do this — even if clearly it's all your idea."

"I don't know where you got that idea from," Natasha said with a little smirk.

"The idea that you planned it all or the idea that I needed to tell you that running shoes are still acceptable?"

"Yes," she replied, laughing a bit to herself.

"Then whenever you're ready, darlin'."

She grinned at him and let him take her the few yards to where Kurt and the rest of the small, gathered group was. When they reached the end, and she started to let go, he pulled her over, to her surprise, to give her a quick kiss on the cheek before he stepped back.

The whole thing had been enough of a spur-of-the-moment decision that neither Clint nor Natasha had prepared anything, so it was short and sweet and by-the-book as a widely grinning Kurt declared them "husband and wife — _finally_ " before Clint pulled Natasha into a long kiss that ended in a laugh, as he was clearly still a little bit in shock from the whole thing.

As soon as the two of them stepped even slightly back, Kate attacked Clint to give him a huge hug, and Steve gave Natasha a quick hug as well before she grinned and brushed her hands off with a sort of businesslike expression on her face.

"Well, like I said, we just needed you for a little while. You can go back to playing with your sticks now if you want," she said toward Logan and Kurt with a playful smirk.

"Nah; I have other things to do now," Logan replied. "Limited time frame for sticks."

"Right, of course. Give her my love," Natasha said with a smile before Clint slid up to her and wrapped an arm around her to kiss the side of her head, still floating.

"Besides, we have to go and _tell_ everyone now, you ridiculous…" Kate waved her hands at the newlyweds. "If I wasn't best womaning, I'd give you a piece of my mind."

"That's why we wanted you best womaning," Clint teased.

Kate rolled her eyes at him but grabbed Kurt to wrap him up in a little excited hug as well, and the group of them headed back to the manor — somehow not at all surprised when they took the kitchen entrance in order to avoid raising too much attention… only to find that Mrs. O'Malley had just "happened" to have prepared a three-tier cake.


	39. The List of the Dead

**Chapter 39: The List of the Dead**

* * *

 _November 7_

 _In the Capitol_

* * *

Noh had gone along with Osborn's 'Avengers' appearance simply because he would rather be conscious at all times around this particular group, and he was sure Osborn would follow through on his threats to drug him.

" _I'm sure Karla will be happy to see that you get to where you're supposed to be,"_ Osborn had said, and Noh was not particularly inclined to let that woman anywhere near him if he was in any way compromised.

He hadn't been on the stage with the team, just off to the side, a little nod to his design prowess that was as much a part of the recruiting pitch as anything else. Join the team — get a costume designed by Noh-Varr, co-founder of the Starstruck Line.

Though they didn't mention the line. Just his name. Noh was actually grateful for that; he didn't want Jubilee to also get her name dragged into this nonsense.

At any rate, it seemed that Norman had a few volunteers, and as Noh had predicted, many of them were the mentally unbalanced, nearly obsessive types that had patterned their entire lives after different former tributes or victors. He was honestly surprised that the young man he had heard Peter Quill and Kitty Pryde talking about — the one who followed Creed around — hadn't come to join the party, though most of the people that had 'volunteered' were of his same ilk.

He almost smirked to himself when he heard Osborn muttering angrily all the way down the hall about how 'unusable' some of these people were. _I did warn him,_ he thought to himself, though his smirk died a bit when the muttering came to a halt at his door and Osborn let himself into the room.

"Any luck finding more shoddy replacements?" Noh asked with false interest.

"Plenty of candidates," Osborn replied. "And a few that we'll be using. One or two already within our ranks, in fact."

"Hopefully more viable than the original replacements," Noh smirked.

"Well ... markedly _different_ ," Osborn said with a smirk.

"Lovely," Noh said. "Then I expect I'll meet them sooner or later when you send them my way — or was there something else you wanted?"

"Yes, you'll need something for yourself as well," Osborn said. "The girl will be up for you to measure within the hour. I expect a design for yourself by week's end."

"What, was the suit I wore not up to your usual _standards_?" Noh asked airily.

"Karla told me that you're trained. I think you'll round the group out nicely."

Noh froze, suddenly realizing what Osborn meant, and got to his feet quickly. "I am not _trained_. I took self-defense, that's all," he argued.

"Tell me, Noh-Varr, who taught you such a thing?" Norman asked with a glare.

"A friend of Jubilee's who taught _her_. You know how it was, being assigned to Seven — she needed to be on her guard."

"I'm sure," he said, sounding unconvinced. "Yet I can find no one that has trained _any_ stylists. And I _have_ looked."

"It wasn't official, just a group that got together on occasion with friends," Noh said. "So you see, you really wouldn't be able to use me. I can defend against the likes of Karla for reasons I'm sure will _not_ apply on the battlefield, but that is because of the nature of the classes." He didn't bother to hide his disdain. "You should find better replacements if one can be taken down by a stylist."

Norman looked unamused. "Then I think perhaps you can show me how you can defend yourself against a soldier." He pressed a button on the intercom at his desk, and a few moments later, a skinny teenage girl came through the door wearing a uniform. She wasn't entirely to the center of the room before Osborn ordered the girl to attack.

Noh was caught entirely off-guard — not just by the order but by the fact that she had clearly been trained and would honestly pose a threat to him. A pair of handheld knives glittered inches from his face as he parried her first strike and then the next. What he had learned was more misdirection and redirection — honestly, _self-defense_ — but it kept the girl at bay without hurting her long enough for Osborn to decide he'd seen enough before he called her off. The girl glared but took a step back, and Noh was left slightly panting but unharmed.

"So," Osborn said as the girl paced around Noh. "Are you going to join of your own free will, or do I need to tweak that?"

"How old is she?" Noh shot back instead of answering.

"Laura is fifteen," Osborn replied. "And you'll be measuring her for the Wolverine uniform."

Noh gaped at him. "You _must_ be kidding."

"Not at all," Osborn replied. "We think she'll test well with the softer-minded in the country."

Noh shook his head at that. "You think she'll do well against a man with a code of honor against hurting young girls."

"That's the idea, yes," Osborn said with a smirk. "He won't hurt her, but she has no such qualms about holding back on him."

"But I do," Noh said.

"I'm not interested in your ridiculous little morals," Osborn replied. "Do as you're told or I'll force you to."

Noh had his eyes narrowed and his hands in fists. "What does it say about your leadership, Mr. Osborn, that you can only lead by force?" he halfway hissed out.

"I'm not concerned with what you think," he replied with a dismissive wave. "Just get to work."

Still glaring, Noh tried to take in a deep breath. He didn't see a way out — for the moment — and he did _not_ want to lose his mind, especially not in this company. Finally, he let out a breath. "You said your name was Laura?" he asked the girl at last in a tone he'd had to use on other young girls he'd prepped for slaughter.

"Yes," she replied in an almost mechanical tone.

"Well then, Laura, let's find you something a little more… _you_ ," Noh said, gently leading her to a seat without taking his gaze off of Osborn.

* * *

 _November 8_

 _Howlett Manor_

* * *

Charles had been trying to talk to Logan since Bobbi had tipped him off about Viper's nasty little mind games that _hadn't_ been in the "official" reports, but the younger victor was being as elusive as always, and it was only with the help of Kurt, Peter, Scott, and Quill that he managed to corner him. Literally.

The other boys bottlenecked him into a room with Charles — and then promised that they would stand guard to keep him there until Charles had said his piece. But even that wasn't going terribly well. Logan had predictably bristled at the subject matter, and Charles spent almost half an hour trying to convince him to just give him a chance to _fix it_ for a whole list of reasons. He'd started with the simple premise of getting rid of any last reminders of Viper's hold — and when Logan denied that angle, he went for the guilt trip and pointed out how he was sure Skye would like to do as she wished without avoiding one trigger or another.

He was just starting to make some solid headway there, particularly when he started to pull in the angle of Skye and the kids that would be in the house and wanting to play with him … when he was interrupted by a commotion in the hall.

"I should see what's wrong," Logan said, looking around Charles' shoulder to the door as the sound of one of the girls crying became clearer.

"And I'm sure that, with all the people that are out there, one of them can handle it for a few more moments," Charles replied, frustrated that he was being interrupted when he was _getting through._

Logan gave him a look that made it clear that whatever this forced session was about, it was over. "That's more pressing," Logan pointed out as he stepped around Charles to open the door.

He was _not_ expecting for it to be Jubilee, though. "Jubes?" Logan called out softly. "What's wrong?"

The incredibly upset little firecracker didn't hesitate to throw herself into him, burying her face in his chest; he was the only thing keeping her upright the second she had hold of him.

He wrapped his arms around her and hushed her as he looked up at Scott and Kurt in question, though it didn't look like either of them knew what was going on, since they'd been helping Charles all morning.

It wasn't until a red-faced Honey came rushing around the corner, clearly looking for Jubilee and crying hard herself — with Bucky on her heels looking concerned for her sake, since he'd been in the room when she got the news — that they had an inkling of what was going on. But, of course, no one besides Logan could hear what it was that Honey barely managed to tell him.

Logan looked to the others before he scooped Jubilee up and just walked off with her crying on his shoulder to give her a quiet place to let it out where she wouldn't have such an audience.

"What happened?" Quill asked once it was clear that the two of them were gone.

"You didn't see?" Honey asked in a trembling voice, her gaze on the door Logan had gone through and her eyes puffy.

"There's not a television around here to see anything," Scott answered.

But when Honey's lip started to tremble and she looked like she might fall apart, Bucky leaned over her shoulder to fill them in. "There was some kind of bombing raid on the Capitol. And Noh was on the list of the dead."

Scott turned toward where the two of them had disappeared with a frown on his face. "How did she find out so fast? And are they _sure_?"

"Trish Walker sent an advance copy through some kind of secret channel she's got with Skye," Bucky said with a small frown of his own. "She didn't want us to get blindsided, she said."

Scott nodded to himself and decided to make himself comfortable in case Logan needed to step out, while Bucky put a hand on Honey's shoulder to more or less steer her along, since clearly, Jubilee was covered — and Honey was upset on her own right at losing her good friend.

Bucky paused, though, and looked to the group of boys. "Ah. Should probably go find the girls. Skye is a mess, too, and then Kate started up when she heard…"

"Got it," Quill said. "Thanks." With that, he looked to Charles with a slow exhale. "We should … go."

Charles nodded slowly. "Yes. I doubt there's much we can do right now," he had to agree — for the moment.

* * *

 _November 11_

 _Howlett Manor_

* * *

As fall was shifting into winter, it seemed like the manor was getting somehow busier, though not quite to the same extent that it had been during the war. The way Osborn was going, it was almost inevitable that there _would_ be another war between him and the broken-off districts, so there was still the hustle and bustle as the kids and victors started going off to the other districts — and helping to shore up Seven. Which meant Kate and Kurt were planning to have a quiet little dinner and maybe some ice cream for Kurt's birthday — since everyone had other things on their mind, both war-related and otherwise.

And besides, Kate was making a concerted effort to give Jubilee something to do. And since there was nothing else Jubilee loved more than party planning and sugary treats, this seemed like a good distraction. Jubilee was even starting to get involved on picking ice cream flavors.

There were all of six kids in the living room by the fire, just chatting and enjoying each other's company. Jubilee was snuggled up with Kate, since Skye had stolen Logan for the day because she was feeling particularly miserable. And Kitty and Kurt were telling stories on each other. It _had_ started with Kitty telling embarrassing Kurt birthday stories from their years growing up together, but it had sort of spiralled from there — with serious encouragement from Peter, Gwen, Kate, and Jubilee.

"...and he wouldn't take it off for _days_ ," Kitty said, to the delighted grins of their friends as Kurt flushed slightly pink.

"You were the same when your parents got you that tutu," Kurt accused her, and Kate burst into giggles at the look on Kitty's face.

"I bet you were the prettiest ballerina in all of Nine," Kate had to tease.

"Oh, in all of _Marvel_ ," Kurt corrected her with a little laugh.

Kitty rolled her eyes at both of them and shovelled another spoonful of ice cream into her mouth.

Once they'd gone through the chocolate-syruped treats, Kitty was sure to insist, though, that Kurt open his presents "before Kate steals you _back_ and we never see you again" — which had Kate smirking.

Kitty had gone for the usual fare: a collection of Hercule Poirot mysteries for him to read. And there was a gift from Logan and Skye both that basically amounted to a set up weekend with s'mores and a smiley face note from Skye.

But when Kate leaned forward to hand him a purple bag, she did it one-handed, still halfway snuggling with Jubilee, who hadn't talked much but still appreciated being part of the goings-on all the same. "This came from the line," she told Kurt in a low whisper, and he raised an eyebrow before he peered inside and burst into a laugh at the pirate hat there — complete with a matching one for their yet-to-be-born little one.

He pulled it out and quickly placed it over his own dark curls, one hand on the brim to make sure it was properly low before he turned to Kate and Jubilee with a sparkle in his eyes and a _huge_ grin. "Perfect! I love it. _Danke_ ," he said, barely holding back the little laugh.

"Couldn't let our favorite Elf go _without_ ," Jubilee said with a whisper of a laugh at his expression.

He grinned at both of them before he kissed Kate's cheek and then Jubilee's temple. " _Danke_ ," he said again and gave them both a little squeeze. "I only wish I could thank Noh as well."

Jubilee's smile tightened, but she managed to nod slowly. "He really wanted to see the tiny Elf in the hat…"

"Well, see, I knew we should have gone before Kate," Peter said, shaking his head as he pushed the little bag that he and Gwen had brought forward to try and get back some of the good mood from before. "Stole all our thunder."

"I _do_ have an unfair advantage," Kate teased lightly.

"So you _think_ ," Peter said half over his shoulder as he carefully handed Kurt what he and Gwen had to offer. "We'll see."

Kurt chuckled at both of his friends before he peered into the bag to find a new set of cufflinks — which were very nice in their own right — but what was more interesting was the neatly printed card with them that clearly read "save the date" and detailed the upcoming spider-wedding, along with Kurt's role as officiant. He broke into a little laugh and looked up at the two expectant faces. "So, you finally worked things out with Coulson?" he asked.

Gwen nodded. "Yeah, he said he could get my dad up here for the holidays — you know, since people wouldn't look twice at him taking time off around then anyway and you _know_ Mr. Osborn's been watching Eight and my dad's force for just this kind of thing."

"Agent May's actually flying him to Three first before we pick him up and come here," Peter explained. "Just to be on the safe side."

Kurt grinned and nodded. "Oh yes; we wouldn't want anything to go wrong for your big day."

"No matter what lean, green, and mean says," Peter agreed.

"So, Christmas Eve," Kurt said, leaning back and grinning as Kitty started to divvy up the cupcakes that Mrs. O'Malley had made to mark the occasion.

"Yep," Peter said happily. "Kind of the perfect way to spend the holidays, don't you think?"

"Oh, for sure," Kate agreed, grinning widely.

"Makes your theme easy enough to handle too," Jubilee pointed out. "Lots of mistletoe and frost … and cheerfulness."

"Exactly what we need," Kate nodded, grinning as Kitty dropped down into the seat on the other side of Kurt and made shooing motions with both hands.

"Well, go on, birthday boy. It's make a wish time."

Kurt chuckled at the group at large but made a point to close his eyes to blow out the single candle — and hope that this year would be a little less war-torn than the last, no matter what Norman Osborn wanted.


	40. The Sequel is Never as Good

**Chapter 40: The Sequel is Never As Good**

* * *

 _November 18_

 _District Twelve_

* * *

For the past several days, Norman Osborn's little team of false 'Avengers' had been a whirlwind of activity that was honestly exhausting, going from manufactured crisis to staged threat to public appearance, all to establish this false idea that the team of criminals and ne'er-do-wells was actually on the side of the angels.

It worked surprisingly well, at least to those that didn't know that most of the 'rescues' had been staged, though Noh was particularly annoyed by the ones that had involved actual danger and civilians, not just false bomb threats or what have you. He was still seething about the 3-year-old kid he'd carried out of a building that had come down — _for the cameras_ — but of course Osborn wouldn't listen to a word of his complaints, not when they had gotten _huge_ public support for that 'mission' in particular.

Not that it was outside of the norm for Osborn to use children to his own ends. Setting aside the kidnapping fiascos prior to his election, there was also the matter of the youngest member of the team, Laura, who Noh was _sure_ was being sent on some of the missions with the most actual danger on purpose. That was yet another thing that he disagreed with Osborn about. Loudly. And often.

But this next mission wasn't for the cameras. It wasn't for show, and it wasn't going to be in the Capitol or Eight or anywhere that Osborn was preening about his new kingdom. This one would be in Twelve and was the source of Noh's latest shouting match with Osborn. The team had been sent to 'deter' Twelve from breaking away from Marvel proper to create their own state — by killing either Black Bolt or his wife, Medusa. Either would do to send the message across.

The rest of the team seemed excited, actually, to get a _real_ mission, something they could, as Bullseye said, "seek our teeth into."

Noh was sitting apart from the group as usual, ticked off in general about the state of affairs and already considering how best to keep his team from their objectives ... or warn Black Bolt ... or _something_.

"Aren't you ready to do something more substantial than just pretend to be heroes?" Laura asked him suddenly, quietly.

Noh startled the slightest bit before he turned her way and considered her for a moment. "I'd rather insubstantial parlor tricks than the murder of an innocent and _good_ man," he said just as quietly.

She raised one eyebrow and fixed him with a look. "Do you know him?"

Noh nodded. "I used to be a stylist for District Twelve, and he helped me through many years of Games even though he didn't have to show that kind of consideration to a young and arrogant Capitolite."

She looked thoughtful for a few moments as she considered his words. "President Osborn said they were terrorists."

"President Osborn's definition of terrorist extends so broadly that I'm surprised he has not accused half the country of it," Noh said.

She smirked ever so slightly. "What makes you think he hasn't?"

He almost chuckled. "The fact that we have time to sleep and do frivolous errands and posturing rather than assassinating half the country."

"The group is still young," she replied.

He tipped his head to the side. "Perhaps," he allowed. "But that does not make what we're doing right." He let out a sigh. "Do not believe everything the president tells you, Laura. He makes his trade in lies and manipulation."

She seemed to consider his answer as she turned her attention back to the front of the plane. Noh couldn't tell if he'd gotten through to her or not … when a faint smile appeared on her face, and she started to kick the bottom of the chair ahead of her.

It took hardly any time at all for her antics to tick off the archer sitting in the chair, and Bullseye turned around to give her the sharpest glare he could from under his mask. "Cut it out, kid."

She smirked up at him, looked him square in the eyes, and kept kicking at the same pace. "Make me."

He started to get up from his seat when Karla laughed at him. "Well, at least two of us are acting our ages… that makes you, what, four? Three and a half, Bullseye?"

"Kid's asking for it," he grumbled.

"Discount Hawkeye," Laura stage whispered, not dropping her gaze from him in the least.

"Oh, now that is an insult to discount stores," Noh laughed.

"You shut your trap," Bullseye grumbled. "You ain't like little miss movie star over here. Osborn won't dock _my_ pay a cent if I bust you up."

"Try not to hit him in the face, Bullseye," Karla said with a smirk.

"He'd have to be able to aim to do that," Laura muttered.

"Shut up, girlie," Bullseye snapped her way. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"I've seen you fight; I know exactly what I'm talking about," Laura replied, crossing her arms.

"She has a point," Noh chuckled. "Where _did_ you learn to shoot like that? I've seen untrained children with better tracking skills."

Bullseye was out of his seat again with teeth bared. "You little—"

"Do you think you could put the rulers away until _after_ we get done here?" Karla asked.

Laura grinned. "Especially since a little girl is out measuring you?"

Bullseye glared Karla's way. "Well, how 'bout in the spirit of _team unity_ or whatever crap we're peddling today, _I_ get to handle the ankle control this time."

Karla shook her head with a pleasant grin. "No, no. I like this job," she said, smirking Noh's way as he glared at both of them.

"It's the only way she can do anything right on this team," Laura said at an actual whisper to Noh.

"If by 'right' you mean not killing me, I have to agree," he whispered back to her.

"Don't forget: we're supposed to make sure our teammates come back unharmed," Laura said as she looked up at Bullseye.

"We're supposed to _try_ ," he corrected her, still glaring.

"And that's what makes you a discount. No follow-through."

Bullseye sneered at her for that one. "Just wait 'til we find the targets, kid, and you'll see follow-through."

"It'll be a nice change, I'm sure," she replied dryly before casually turning to look out the window — and again kicking the seat.

Noh was smirking to himself slightly by the time the team spilled out of the transport, not quite able to hide his amusement at the fact that their youngest teammate was clearly running all over Bullseye as the archer all but stalked into the streets of Twelve looking for any sign of either Black Bolt or Medusa.

"I think you hurt his feelings," he teased Laura in a quiet whisper.

"I think he's going to have a hard time tracking her himself if she doesn't have her big red hair out in the open," she countered.

"And an even harder time tracking Black Bolt," Noh agreed. "He _was_ a victor. He didn't get that title on accident, after all."

"We'll see," she said with a one-armed shrug. "I don't think they're all that sneaky."

"No, but he is devious," Noh told her, wearing a small and proud sort of smile as they made their way almost leisurely through Twelve — though Laura's prediction that Bullseye wouldn't find his mark proved right about ten minutes later when it was Venom who found Medusa, not Bullseye.

The last member of the team had nearly melted out of the shadows in his all-black suit, an unearthly hiss of pleasure escaping him as he dove for Medusa. Osborn hadn't let him out for any but the most controlled public appearances, and it was suddenly and immediately clear why as he dove at the redheaded woman with claws much like the ones Clara Creed had been given in her Games, only somehow fashioned slightly longer at the tips of his fingers.

Noh rushed toward the sound even as several of Twelve's Inhuman residents did the same, racing for the side street where Venom had found their so-called queen. Noh wasn't sure if he was relieved or not that he never got close enough to see what had happened as the citizens of Twelve turned to the little team that had come to take down their leaders and grabbed whatever they had on hand to use as projectiles or blunt instruments, making their anger known.

"Time to go," Noh said under his breath to Laura, just barely ducking a thrown rock as he turned on his heel and half pulled her in front of him as they ran.

"What are you doing?" she asked, struggling a little until he set her down. "We have work to do — and we can't do it by running away."

"Laura, we're _done_ ," he told her. "Venom will finish Medusa, and we were only sent to kill one. There is no reason to stay and hurt anyone else."

"But we need to tell Bullseye that," she said pointedly.

Noh paused and swore under his breath as he realized that she was right. "Alright," he said with a little nod.

She gave him a little look and then shot off into the darkness. "I'll go to the Victors' Village."

Noh shook his head as she slipped off before he could say anything else, though he rushed to catch up to her. She was surprisingly quick — and small enough to slip past the angry crowd as well, though he had a hard time doing so, forced to push through a few angry Inhumans as he tried his level best not to actually hurt anyone who took a swing at him and just… get past them to catch up to his teammate.

He had just reached the Victors' Village when there was an echoing _twang_ a second before Noh felt something sharp — and his leg went out from underneath him. With a gasp, he looked down to see the black-tipped arrow in the back of his calf and swore loudly, cursing Bullseye — since he _knew_ it hadn't been an accident.

A few moments later, Bullseye cried out in pain himself, and all either of them could hear in the darkness, outside of a breaking bowstring, was Laura as she did her very best faux-shocked tone. "Oh no! I _tried_ to not see you get hurt."

"You little brat!" Bullseye snarled at her as he clutched at his leg where Laura had stabbed him in exactly the same place as he'd shot Noh.

He closed one hand around her arm, and a moment later, he was on the ground when she spun and kicked him in the face. "Keep your hands to yourself," she shouted his way.

"You'd better watch your back, brat," he shot after her.

"And you better watch your bow. You might not ever get it working right again by the time I get done with it. Knockoff."

"Snot-nosed whelp."

With both Noh and Bullseye injured, then, it was Karla and Laura who had to get the team back to the plane — since Venom was just going to do his own thing until it was time to go anyway.

"Your purple boyfriend has an attitude problem," Laura told Karla. "He needs a bark collar."

"He's not my boyfriend," Karla said as she halfway dragged Bullseye into the plane. " _I_ have better taste than that."

"Well then I'm not old enough to know what he is to you," she deadpanned.

Noh laughed at that as he eased into a seat next to Laura. "Neither are they."

She smirked the tiniest bit and then got up to head to where the medical supplies were. "I'll get you something for that," she said, gesturing to his bloodied leg.

"I'd appreciate that, thank you," he said.

"Get two, would you?" Karla asked.

"No," Laura said calmly. "I'm not helping him."

"Little punk," Bullseye grumbled under his breath.

"Loser," Laura shot right back.

He bared his teeth at her, and Karla just rolled her eyes before she got up to get some medical supplies as well. "It's like working in a circus with you people."

"He wishes," Laura said as she dropped into the seat by Noh.

Noh chuckled at that and gave her a warm smile. "Thank you for the backup," he said honestly.

"We're on the same team — and you don't treat me like a five-year-old," she said carefully.

He tipped his head to the side as he considered it before he had to smile quietly. "Well, perhaps it helps that I used to be a stylist for girls your age," he offered.

"And you're not pushing me to be someone else," she said. "Like these losers want to be."

"I've met the man they want you to emulate," he told her. "I'd rather you stood outside his shadow. He's a good man, though. It's not horrible to be associated with him," he added with a little smile.

"I don't know why they want me to be like a _boy_ anyhow," she muttered, going back to kicking her seat.

Noh chuckled. "If you're asking me to decode the insane ramblings of the Green Goblin's mind, I cannot help you. I don't understand it either, and I worked for years under President Thanos."

"That doesn't say much," she said with a look his way.

"It just means I can spot insanity more easily," he admitted. He watched in silence as she packed up the medical supplies when she was finished before he added, "And you aren't much like the man they want you to be. Though… perhaps in defying self-important blowhards, you two are the same. That's a good thing. I hope you live up to his true legacy. You're certainly on your way to becoming a good friend, as he was."

Laura smiled at that. "Well, that's something, at least."

* * *

 _November 24_

 _District Five_

* * *

Since SHIELD had gotten wind of Medusa's death, it seemed that there had been an uptick in other deaths and disappearances — enough so that Coulson wanted to send a few teams out to different districts to investigate and possibly prevent further murders.

Several of the members of X-Force, for example, were in Twelve (sans Logan, since Skye was literally due any day now), and Clint and Natasha had gone together to check out a few reports in Two. Jessica Drew was out with the entirely of the spider clan as well.

The team in Five, however, was a little more of a hodgepodge. Coulson's old SHIELD team was spread out between May flying missions, Simmons helping Hank in medical after missions, and Skye due to have a baby that week — but Mack, Fitz, and Tripp were all still technically field agents.

So Coulson had asked for two more team members, and Xavier had suggested, of all people, Brian Braddock and Remy LeBeau. It would, he said, be good for them to be forced to work together — but neither one of them looked happy about it in the least.

"You know, if you two don't get over it, Mack and I are gonna wrestle you into Coulson's 'get along' t-shirt," Tripp said. "Then you can cuddle until you get it right."

"Dat gon' make fightin' de bad guys harder, luggin' 'round dis here unconscious brudder o' Betts," Remy said under his breath.

"Awfully optimistic there, frog breath," Brian replied just as low.

"What, chu tink you gon' be _talkin'_ when we dat close?" Remy shot back.

"I think you're not as smooth or as tough as you think," Brian said.

"Well, dat is jus' de biggest lie anyone done told."

"You mean outside of everything that falls outta your mouth?"

"Girls," Tripp broke in. "You're both pretty. Come _on_." He shook his head. "If you're going to do this all mission, I'm officially requesting mics off. Jeez."

"Thank you," Brian said. "Pretty sure I'd have to kill myself if I had to listen to him for a whole mission with that fake accent."

"And your Capitol accent is so much de better," Remy shot back. "Where you learn it from, TV?"

"At least I didn't make it up," Brian replied.

"So you _did_ learn it from TV," Remy said with a triumphant laugh. "Knew it."

"I'm about to break _both_ your jaws just to get you to shut your mouths and keep to the mission," Mack said. "And don't think I won't."

Fitz shook his head Mack's way. "We're not even in the district proper yet," he said in a low tone out of the corner of his mouth. "Separate them, do you think?"

"We're not gonna make it there otherwise," he agreed before he stood up and made his way back to the pair of them. "You," he said, pointing at Brian. "Go sit co-pilot with May. And you?" He pointed at Remy. "Back of the plane."

The two of them seemed only too willing to part company, and May was shaking her head as Brian sat down beside her. "You're just fueling him," she said.

"He just rubs me the wrong way," Brian replied as he straightened out his shirt.

"You've been at his throat since your sister decided he was worth giving the time of day," May pointed out.

"What's your point?" Brian asked.

"I'm saying you're just adding fuel to the fire. Guys like him… they like a girl _more_ if someone tells them 'no'."

"And if he drops her the second I say 'yes, go ahead,' I'm going to kill him outright."

"No one would stop you," May said. "In fact, you'd probably get some help. But on the other hand, if he surprises you, what then?"

"Lady, basically you're telling me I'm damned if I do and damned if I don't — so if it's all the same to you, I'm going to err on the side of my sister."

She shrugged. "Then I'd suggest trusting her judgement, but that's all the same to me, apparently."

He crossed his arms and let out a sigh as he looked out the windows. "I didn't come here for a lecture."

"No, you came here because, like a five-year-old, you had to be separated from the other child on this team. If you think Mack isn't reading Remy the riot act right now, you're sadly mistaken. You got the good end of this deal," she said straight-faced and without looking his way. "I'm far less likely to tell Betsy about any of this, but Mack _will_ tell her whatever he feels like telling her after he's done with Remy."

"Right," he replied. "But I'm not afraid of my sister."

"Uh-huh."

May took the plane in for their landing easily enough. There was a solid hiding place, even if they didn't have the invisibility panels fully operational. From there, it was just a matter of combing the district — there were a few former stylists and escorts as well as other sympathetic Capitolites who had settled in the area, and any one of them might be a good target for Osborn on his insane spree.

The night was pretty clear, and the heat was _not_ on them in the least as they traversed their way deeper into the district. It was only by sheer luck that they heard — rather than got hit by — the arrow that zipped past them.

"What. _The hell._ Was that?" Fitz said loudly as they took cover.

Tripp glanced up and pulled the black-tipped arrow out of the wall in front of them. "Robin Hood, apparently," he said before he turned with both of his sidearms in his hands and spotted the rest of Bullseye's team approaching. "And look… Merry Men."

"They don't look too merry to me," Fitz added, though he and Mack dove into it with guns blazing — night-night rounds, of course. There were a few experts back at SHIELD that wanted interrogation time with these people.

The group of so-called 'Dark Avengers' were all masked, though Fitz had brought his dwarves into the battle just in case to record and see if they could match up fighting styles, gaits, that sort of thing to criminal records and other places Osborn might find his wannabe fighters.

While the others were holding up the main part of the fight, Fitz was hunkered down behind a solid hidey hole, working the controls on the little drones to assign each to a different 'Dark Avenger'. "Keep them here a little while longer," he called out into his comm. "Facial recognition is only at seventy five percent on all of them … but the ah … the big … tall… green and white fellow."

He was muttering out curses under his breath as, one by one, each of the Dark Avengers was identified ... except. that. one. "Blast it!" he grumbled about five seconds before a twang echoed the field, and the controls were knocked out of Fitz's grip as an arrow went straight through his arm. He screamed out and almost immediately started to go into shock.

He always knew getting shot was a possibility, but he never really thought it would happen to _him_.

"Hang in there, Turbo," Mack called out as he covered both of them, hitting the archer square in the center of his forehead with an icer round.

* * *

On the other side of the street, Brian and Remy were pinned down under fire of their own. To make their situation more interesting, the two of them were being positively awful about keeping an eye out for each other. It wasn't intentional, of course, but it was happening all the same — and both Brian and Remy were getting irritated with the other for how it was going down.

Until Remy got shot.

The Cajun let loose a curse that would send saints and sinners running for the hills, and Brian had to do a double-take before he grabbed Remy by the shoulders and threw him to the ground, all but kneeling on the wound in spite of Remy's squalling.

"I am trying to stop the bleeding, you idiot," Brian ground out before he fired off a couple of shots — one of which happened to hit a massively-built psychopath in a black suit.

"Oh _now_ we on de same side," Remy said, along with a few choice curses that Brian was sure weren't even real.

"When we're under fire? Yes," Brian said. "When you're pawin' at my sister? Not so much."

"She pawin' at me," Remy said with a crooked smirk.

"I've got enough blood on me that I could be believed if I said I tried," Brian warned.

"You got too much conscience in ya'," Remy said with half a laugh as he leaned back.

"Something you could learn from," he countered.

Remy chuckled. "Now you sound like Stormy."

"Should tell you something when a girl that small has that much more sense than you."

"Stormy got more sense in her left pinkie den half de manor," Remy countered.

"So learn from her, why don'tcha?" Brian shook his head as he tore off a strip of his shirt and tied it tightly around Remy's leg.

Remy shook his head lightly. "Whatchu want from Remy, hmm? Ain't stolen nuttin' from nobody dat matters and ain't left neither."

Brian gave him a look as the two of them kept down and out of the line of fire. "You don't think so?" Brian asked. "Why don't you just try to be as good of a person as you _know_ she deserves. Make yourself better."

Remy shot him a sideways glance and then shrugged. "Ain't much left to get better at," he said with a little teasing grin.

Brain gave him a dry look. "That's my sister you're talking about."

"Didn't say nuttin'," Remy said, tipping his head to his shoulder.

Brian shook his head, obviously completely done with trying to talk to the idiot. "Just do me a favor and shut up."

When Mack finally caught up with the two of them, he was a little surprised to see that they were laying low and quiet and not actively trying to kill each other, though both of them had Remy's blood on them — which had him concerned in the second before he realized Remy had been shot.

"C'mon. Fitz is down too, but we got a couple of theirs, and you know those dwarves of his got plenty else," Mack said, picking Remy up over his shoulder despite the Cajun's protests.

"Perfect," Brian said, his jaw locked as he followed them. "Is he alright?"

"Fitz? Yeah, he'll be fine. Took it in the arm and went into shock like a champ," Mack said easily.

"Why couldn't this one do that?" Brian asked under his breath.

"Just your luck," Mack chuckled.

When they got back to the plane, Mack was sure to check on Fitz after he got Remy situated, and then he checked over Fitz' dwarves, checking to make sure they were all there.

"You got them all, right? You didn't let any of them get shot down or anything?" Fitz asked nervously. "We need _all_ of them."

"Nah, they're all here," Mack promised. "You got 'em all labeled in spots and everything — I think I got them right."

Fitz seemed somewhat appeased as he leaned back in his seat, his hand over the injury. "Then what the _hell_ is the hold up? We need to get back; I have data to process."

Mack chuckled at that. "Yeah, yeah, we're getting right on that, Turbo," he said as he nodded May's way to get them in the air. "You get hits on all those bozos, then?"

"All of them but the fellow with most of his face covered. His head covering wasn't as form fitting as the idiot in purple."

"The guy in the white and green?" Mack asked.

"Mmmhmm, that's the one," Fitz said, wincing as he shifted his weight. "He hasn't been seen with them before either."

"New player," Tripp said with an easy grin. "That's always fun."

Fitz nodded, though for the moment, he was still recovering from the shock, so all he could do was download the information and send it to Skye. He'd have a sit-down with her later… when he could think more clearly.


	41. For Every Action

**Chapter 41: For Every Action, There Is An Equal And Opposite Reaction**

* * *

 _November 29_

 _District Twelve_

* * *

Coulson had gotten a disturbing communique from Black Bolt a little over a week ago — but it wasn't until just now that he'd been able to send out a team to investigate.

The message was garbled, and he was pretty sure that something was terribly wrong for the leader of the district to need a new interpreter — and one that was obviously nowhere near as talented at interpreting for him as Black Bolt's wife was.

But Coulson was sure that the team he'd sent out to look into things would be more than enough to figure things out. America was acting as their guide at the very least — though she'd made it clear that if nothing went right, they were going to have a quick party before they left.

The rest of the group was solid: Natasha and Betsy as well as Kitty and Jessica Drew, with May flying again, since she was growing rather attached to that invisible jet. Both Natasha and Jessica Drew were good translators when it came to sign language, and Jess had basically been Black Bolt's translator in the Capitol. So when the jet set down in Twelve, the two of them led the way to the Victors' Village, and Jess rapped on the door.

"Come on, Blackagar," she called out. "You know we can't trust anything the Capitol media's putting out, and your message was crap for details."

Black Bolt came to the door looking incredibly unamused, his arms crossed over his chest, though he seemed to relax the slightest bit when he saw Jess and waved her inside. _Medusa was killed in broad daylight,_ he signed Jess' way. _I don't have a translator._ He looked incredibly upset about the whole thing, and Jess just stared at his hands before she drew the older victor into a long hug.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know," she said as she squeezed his shoulders, and he wrapped her up very gently back with a heavy sigh. "What happened?"

 _A team of costumed imbeciles,_ Black Bolt said. _They would never have gotten her if they hadn't surprised her._ He shook his head, clearly mad. _Have you seen the Capitol propaganda? Those colorful idiots are all over. Murderers being championed by those in charge. We were supposed to be past this._

"Yes, we've seen them," Jess told him. "We've been trying to see who they are. They attacked some of ours too. Our techs have got all of them _of age_ except for one, and it's just a matter of time before we know who all of these criminals are."

 _Yes, my people said that there was a child,_ Black Bolt said, the idea clearly upsetting to him. He shook his head. _I hoped you would have had more for me. I would like to bring these killers to justice._

"I can give you the names of those we do have," she said. "And since the communication was so bad, Coulson sent a gift." Jessica pulled a tablet out and handed it to him. "I'm sure you remember how these work."

 _Thank you,_ Black Bolt signed, smiling softly as he recognized the gift. _This will help, and so will the names. I can give them to my people before we announce our intention to break from Marvel._

Jessica nodded and powered up the tablet to show him where the files were uploaded and waiting for him. "We'll send the others when we get them."

Black Bolt nodded thoughtfully as he looked through it. _Three names… but there were five there. My reports from my people said there were three men, one woman, and a child._

"We're missing the man in green and white and the little girl."

 _I don't want to go after a child if I can help it,_ Black Bolt said.

"None of us do," she agreed. "Coulson already is planning to try to fix whatever they've done to get a child that young …" She gave him a wry smile. "You know how he is with kids."

 _Yes, believe it or not, I remember how he was when I was that age too,_ Black Bolt said with the ghost of a smirk.

"Don't worry, BB," America sang out cheerfully as she slipped over to her old mentor and wrapped him in a hug. "You know I'll hit the stuffing out of whoever did this. No one messes with Twelve and gets away with it, right?"

Black Bolt smirked at her and nodded his agreement.

As the little group got to planning what was going to happen to whoever had crossed the Twelves, May was looking out the window — and she had to frown when she saw movement in an otherwise empty street. "Get out," she said to the group at large suddenly as she set herself into motion, already drawing her weapons. "They're here — or someone is."

The ladies in the house, along with Black Bolt, jumped into action as they headed for the exits — though before all of them could make it out, several of the windows blew in as the five-person 'Avengers' team came in.

Natasha took an almost immediate dislike to the purple-clad archer in Clint's old Games attire and burst toward him with a shout of anger, ducking one of his arrows before she landed a solid uppercut. Betsy found herself with the black-clad Venom in her face, snarling and snapping at her before she threw him over his shoulder and he scrambled up, hissing his displeasure.

May moved into evac mode, pushing Black Bolt out of the building, even as he was pushing back against her. All at once, he finally stopped her as a creep in the black made his rush for him — apparently not having done enough damage against Betsy to sate his needs and going for what he thought was an easier target.

Black Bolt pushed May away and just waited for Venom to come at him, claws tinged with blood as he did so. The fight wasn't as quick as anyone thought it would be, though, as Blackagar showed his prowess in dodging the strikes at first, positively wearing his opponent out before he pushed toward him with devastating punches. He was quicker than they'd given him credit for — age not a factor, clearly. In the span of a heartbeat, he'd landed four hits on the younger man — every one of them a crushing blow.

With Natasha still beating on the archer and Black Bolt clearly holding his own against the fake Spiderman, the rest of the team was left to deal with the remaining three attackers — though of the three, the blonde woman was really the most fervent attacker as she went after Jess. The young girl seemed to be content to watch Black Bolt beat down the Spiderman, and the man in green and white was sticking close to her, dodging away from any fight that got near.

In a flash, the scrawny little girl launched herself at Kitty, and to everyone's shock that was paying attention, the kid was keeping up. The girls were fighting hard, and it wasn't long before Kitty seemed to disarm her, even though no one saw her touch the blades the girl was carrying. At any rate it made for a much fairer hand-to-hand fight — even though the small girl was doing everything she could to prove herself.

"Laura," the man in green shouted her way. "We're not here to get into petty brawls."

"I'm doing my job," she shouted back between swings.

"Are you really now?" the man asked in an almost tired tone.

"Would you rather I help Venom? Because I would rather _not_ ," she shot back.

"Perhaps you can help him or Bullseye _out_ ," the man suggested.

Laura paused for just an instant outside of Kitty's reach. "But she already disarmed me."

"And that means you have to fight her? Are you from Four and so honor-bound you cannot see when it is time to retreat?"

She let out a little laugh and switched to a high tone. "But honor lies in the battle, fair lady," she teased. "Let me bring thee a favor."

He laughed out loud. "I would ask thee only the favor of leaving the field of battle unscathed, dear lady," he called back to her.

The girl giggled at that. "You are so weird."

As the two of them were going back and forth, America had caught up to help her old ally, but before she could jump in to help Kitty, she stopped short and _stared_ as she heard the two 'Avengers' going back and forth. "Noh?" she called out to the green-clad man.

"Gasp," Laura called out, one hand to her chest. "Thou hast been made, good sir."

Noh paused between a laugh at Laura and a glance America's way, clearly torn on what to do before he just inclined his head to one side and shrugged, pulling off the mask that covered 90% of his face. "Well… if I have been 'made', I have been 'made.' No sense in the mask," he said softly.

"Noh," Laura almost hissed, wide-eyed at his admission.

America stared between the two of them before she honestly got mad. "What is your _problem_?" she demanded, tapping Noh in the center of the chest with her finger to punctuate every word. "We thought you were _dead_!"

"Hey," Laura said, popping up between them and glaring hard at America. "He didn't pick this."

"We _thought you were dead_ ," America insisted, getting louder this time — their argument was starting to draw attention.

"Well you were _wrong_ ," Laura shouted back at her.

"What do you know about it?" America snarled back.

"More than you, apparently," Laura said with a curled up lip.

"America... " Noh said, then shook his head. "Laura. Both of you — just stop. Please. Now is not the time and place for this argument."

"Right, we gotta get you out of here before creepy Karla sees you with your mask off," Laura pointed out.

Noh nodded slightly at that, though he did reach behind his head to pull the mask back over his features. "Tell my Jubilee not to worry," he told America quietly. "I didn't know you'd been told I was dead. I really am sorry to hear it."

"Just come back with us, you idiot," America said. "Tell her yourself. I'll kill anybody that says you can't come."

"Ugly girl with the bad costume," Laura said tipping her head toward the rapidly approaching Karla. "She's got the shock controller."

America raised both eyebrows high on her forehead before she cracked her knuckles. "What's your angle?" she asked.

"Hey. I don't like her either," Laura said with her arms crossed. .

"Well, you're about to dislike a corpse," America promised as she bounded Karla's way and smashed into her with a resounding _crack_ as her fist made contact with Karla's face, breaking several bones on the way and then several more on the follow-up.

"We are _leaving_ ," Bullseye called out as he finally managed to get out from underneath Natasha, bloody and much worse for the wear.

" _You_ leave, then," Laura said, half cringing away from all the blood on him.

"I didn't put this up for debate," Bullseye snapped back at her, striking out with his bow before she could react to crack her across the temple, stunning her, before he scooped her up to bodily remove her from the scene.

Karla threw a grenade at the group of SHIELD-friendly victors and tributes, scattering them with the blast so that, by the time the smoke cleared, she and Venom had also left, with Noh already hot on Bullseye's heels and snapping at him to _put her down_ the whole way back.

America brushed some of the debris off her face — she had been closest to the blast — before she turned to the others with a look of near fury. "We have to go after them," she insisted.

But it was clear immediately that simply wasn't going to be the case, as Jess had been hit in the explosion — badly — and Black Bolt was desperately working to help her, wrapping what he could as his mouth formed the swear words he couldn't say out loud.

"We'll get her back home," May promised. "I'm sure you're more than welcome to come too."

But Black Bolt shook his head, finally pulling back from Jess as May took over on her. _I need to stay here, with my district._

"If you change your mind, there are contacts on your tablet," May told him as America picked up Jess.

 _The only thing you need to concern yourself with at this point is backing us up when we declare independence._

"You've got our support," May said. "You know that already. But now you can tell us quicker if the need arises."

Black Bolt nodded, and the girls rushed off, with America muttering the whole way back to the jet about just what she was going to do to "that Karla chick" and "the Goblin who's asking to get his face caved in."

* * *

 _In the Capitol_

* * *

Bullseye and Noh had been snapping at each other for the entire duration of the flight back to the Capitol — as well as the trip into the presidential estate. All three of Osborn's actually-invested Avengers were bloodied and bruised, and Laura had a few cuts and scrapes, but the fact that Noh was able to get away relatively clean was the subject of their debate the entire way to where Osborn was.

"You are the one who called for retreat; it's not _my_ fault you angered the Black Widow," Noh sneered his way.

"We could have taken them out," Bullseye insisted. "If you weren't making _friends._ "

"Is that your version of events?" Noh said. "All I was doing was trying to keep Laura safe. We _are_ supposed to look out for each other."

"What was Black Widow doing there?" Norman asked with narrowed eyes, cutting into their argument as they arrived.

"There was a whole group of 'em at Black Bolt's place," Bullseye sneered. "He must've called 'em."

"Yes, imagine our surprise at finding the victors looking out for one another," Noh said straight-faced.

"The Black Widow was not a victor," Osborn pointed out. "Who was with her? I need to know which ones to put on my list."

Bullseye shot Noh a little sneer before he tipped his head Osborn's way. "Drew and the newest one, the Chavez girl that _this one_ was friendly with," he said, his lips curled back. "Plus a few of the kids. The girls from that last year. The model and the little swordsy girl from Nine."

"That's all of them?" Osborn asked, scribbling the names down that he knew.

"And the dark-haired SHIELD leader. The Cavalry or whatever," Bullseye said.

"Melinda May," Osborn said, nodding his head. "You'd do well to avoid her."

"No kidding," Bullseye said. "That's everyone there, though. Pretty big group for just a check-in, so Blackagar must've tipped them off somehow that something went wrong.

"How?" Osborn asked, looking almost irritated at his reasoning. "He can't even talk."

"Like I know," Bullseye said with a shrug. "Ask him — he's friendly with 'em."

Osborn turned toward Noh with a critical eye. "Of course _he_ knows."

"I could barely understand him when I was working with him," Noh argued. "Jessica Drew did all the translation."

"Why do I not believe that?" Osborn said in a bored tone. "Is that all you have to report? That you were worthless in the Capitol as well?"

"Well they didn't hire me for my linguistic capabilities," Noh said easily. "I was just there to make children look good."

"He was made," Bullseye said, leaning forward with malice in his expression.

At that, Osborn put his pen down and turned toward him. "How."

"Took his mask off and chatted with his old victor," Bullseye said, looking positively delighted. "Saw the whole thing."

"You did _what?"_ Osborn said, turning to Noh with full fury on his face.

"Only after it was clear she recognized me anyway," Noh said, holding up both hands in a conciliatory gesture. "My voice, my pattern of speaking — I don't know what gave it away."

"Why were you speaking at all?" Osborn asked.

"Believe it or not, it is sometimes necessary to communicate with my teammates."

"He likes to play games with the kid while the rest of us get work done," Bullseye grumbled.

"No one believes that," Karla said with a roll of her eyes.

"Yeah? What do you think they were doing while you were getting your face rearranged?" Bullseye shot back. "Cuz it sure wasn't pulling you out."

"And what were you doing — outside of trying and failing to flirt with the Widow?" she challenged.

"In case you didn't notice, I was the one to get us out of there — _all_ of us," he replied with some serious heat. "Coulda left you there for the girl to finish you off — and she would've, too."

"Don't give yourself so much credit," Karla said with a glare. "It was my grenade that cleared the place."

"Yeah? And if I hadn't've knocked the kid out, how many people do you think we'd have on this team right now?"

"At least one big mouth down," Laura grumbled, rubbing her head. "Creep. What kind of lowlife hits a kid?"

"What kind of kid kills people for a living?" Bullseye shot back. "You ain't that innocent, brat."

"Didn't say I was innocent, jerk. I said I was _young_ — not that you know anything about that." Laura was glaring hard at him before she turned to Osborn. "Was that in your handbook? Crack the kid in the head?"

"We really should get you checked out for that," Noh said quietly.

"Once he tells me what the deal is," Laura said hotly. "I'll _walk_ if you're going to let this jerk do this to me."

"Nobody is leaving this team," Osborn said with just as much heat to his tone before he glared Bullseye's way. "But you're certainly right. He was _not_ authorized to do that."

Bullseye shrugged openly. "I called it like I saw it. With Karla down, I can guarantee both of 'em would have left with those guys if I hadn't stepped in."

Laura crossed her arms and glared at him, rolling her eyes in a huff. "You don't _know_ jack."

Osborn looked like a serious headache was starting to build as he rubbed his forehead. "Bullseye, if you overstep again, there will be _serious_ consequences. And Laura, stop playing with the people you're sent to fight. Do your _job_."

"I _did_ ," she insisted, going so far to pull her gloves off to expose the busted knuckles.

"She did," Noh agreed quickly. "And she is really an impressive fighter for her age."

"That burns, Noh," Laura shot his way with a glare.

"You're only going to get better with practice," he shot back with a little smirk.

"Whatever," she said, shaking her head. "There's only so much I can do with the people I have to work with."

"If you're both through," Osborn said with a glare.

"You know contracts aren't enforceable with minors, right?" Laura said on her way to leave. "I should be home with my mother."

"Tell me where she lives and I'll take you there myself," Noh said, which just earned him a glare from Osborn.

"Outer tier," she replied. "Why else would I have been put in the freakin' army already?"

"Go to medical," Osborn directed her way, though he looked over at the rest of the team and almost belatedly added, "All of you."

Bullseye looked put out for a moment before he shoved past Noh with a little grumble, with Venom slinking out the door a moment later as Noh caught up to Laura with the intent to sit with her in case she had a concussion or something from Bullseye's dirty trick.


	42. Best Birthday Present Ever

**Chapter 42: Best Birthday Present Ever**

* * *

 _Almost November 30_

 _Howlett Manor_

* * *

Skye had been feeling a little bit off all night, but it wasn't until she had been trying and failing to go to sleep for a few hours that she just started to feel _wrong_. So when it felt like someone was trying to break her back … that was when she knew it was time to give up on sleep and wake up Logan. And she did that by very nearly breaking his hand squeezing it, though she _had_ been trying to be more subtle than that.

"Break it if you need to," he teased, helping her up. "I don't mind."

"Yeah, but _I_ mind; you're supposed to _hold_ her when we get done, you nincompoop," she said through gritted teeth.

"Yeah, I know," he said, doing what he could to make it an easier trip. "Say the word and I'll carry you."

"Which word — because I've said a few?"

He gave her a little kiss on the temple, scooped her up, and started off at a brisk pace. "Any one of 'em."

They got down to Hank's setup, and Logan made sure that Skye was comfortable before he woke up the sleeping doctor — and Simmons, who Skye was insisting had to come too, which meant Fitz was there as well by default. And it also meant that Fitz needed a chair to sit in and look wide-eyed as both Simmons and Hank went right into 'doctor mode'.

For Skye, though, it was a much easier ride once the epidural took effect, and she stopped trying to break Logan's hand or shoot Fitz dirty looks after a while — which told the doctors on hand that it was working. Even so, it wasn't until around two o'clock that the little girl debuted, shiny and new and immediately greeted by the broadest grin Simmons had ever worn as she looked over Hank's shoulder before he cleaned her up and handed her to Skye.

She was perfectly tiny, with lots and lots of jet black hair and long, spindly fingers. Skye laughed delightedly and then leaned back, unable to stop grinning down at the little girl. Finally, she looked up at Logan and tipped her head. "What do you think? She takes after me or you?"

"Oh, gotta be _you_ ," he said with a little crooked smile before he gave her a kiss. "Got lucky."

"I dunno ... the hair…" she teased.

"Will lighten up."

"Oh, I hope not," Skye said, shaking her head. "I like it."

"You'll like it either way," Logan pointed out. "As long as it doesn't stick up stupid."

She chuckled at that and very gently lifted the little one to put her in his arms. "Your turn, Dad. I wanna see how you look with her all tucked in."

Logan gave her a raised eyebrow look but didn't argue as he took the little one and sat down facing Skye. "Poor thing's tired. Both of you."

"I blame you," Skye teased Logan lightly as she leaned back into the pillows contentedly.

The three of them sat that way for just a little while before Logan looked up at Simmons. "You up?"

"Me?" Simmons looked shocked. "Oh, no. I just... "

"Well, Skye didn't want you here for scenery," Logan pointed out as he made his way over to her and started to gently tip the little one into her arms.

"Oh, well. Yes. Right, then," Simmons said, rearranging the tiny little one and breaking into a grin that it didn't look like she was quite aware of. "She's darling. Really. What did you decide to call her, anyway?"

Logan looked over to Skye and smirked. "Your call, sweetheart."

"I still like Daisy," Skye said with a sedate smile. "Daisy May."

"That sounds like something out of a nursery rhyme," Fitz said with a little laugh. "I like it."

"It fits her," Logan agreed. "But I'm not waking up Coulson until later. He needs his beauty sleep."

"Yeah, he's got to look perfect for the grandpa glow," Fitz laughed.

"Maybe if he looks nice enough, he'll get grandma's attention too," Skye muttered Logan's way.

"We should lock 'em in a box somewhere," Logan agreed low. "Might have to tie her up, though. She's a lot sneakier than these two."

Skye laughed at that. "We could do what we did to Clint and Nat," she offered. "Jam the door."

"Get 'em drunk and lock 'em in." He nodded thoughtfully. "Still ... it'd take more."

"They are frustratingly stubborn," Skye agreed with a sigh. "We may have to win the war and then replace DC into retirement…"

"And they're too old to trick into spin the bottle..."

"Or truth or dare."

"No one wants to play that with them."

"True," she admitted. "We could always get Hill elected and make her give a presidential decree. I think those two would follow 'orders.'"

"I can forge her signature," Logan offered.

"I can forge his," she said with a nod. "Between us, we might just have it."

"And Hill will finalize it," Logan agreed. "If nothin' else to get May back for the pranks."

"It's a plan, then," Skye said, leaning into his arm and watching with a grin as Simmons talked Fitz into holding Daisy for a while. "We'll hit them at the end of the marathon run of weddings."

"I'll bet we can get someone on staff to work up an invitation with that day's date on it — whenever it's filed," he suggested. "Give 'em a copy of the filed license."

She laughed. "Oh, yes, for sure. And then they won't be able to break the kids' hearts once word gets out. Kamala _alone_ would give them the _worst_ guilt trip if they tried to back out of it."

"Yeah," Logan said, shifting to put his arm around her and pull her closer. "I don't think it'll take as much as you think, though."

"They are very, very stubborn. And stupid. And stubborn"

"I've heard that rumor," he agreed. "But you should get some rest. I got this."

"I've heard that rumor too," Skye said with a little smile as she leaned back to do just that, perfectly content snuggled up right there.

The rest of the manor residents didn't even start to wake up until several hours later, and by that point, Logan and Skye had taken Daisy back to their room so Skye could sleep in their bed for a while. When she did finally feel like breakfast, she insisted to Logan that they had to bring Daisy, too — not telling anyone ahead of time, just to see what the reactions would be. And they were not disappointed in the least.

"When did this happen?" Jubilee half shouted as she scrambled over to the two of them, grinning and all but bouncing in place — the happiest they had seen her since they'd gotten the news that Noh had been killed. "She is so _cute_!"

"Yeah she is," Skye agreed immediately as more of the manor residents rushed over to see the little girl. "Her name's Daisy, by the way."

"Of course it is," Kurt said with a grin, his hand on Logan's shoulder to give his friend a solid squeeze. "She's perfect."

"So's the timing," Kate pointed out. "Unless it happened before midnight?" she added quickly, looking between Logan and Skye.

"No, early this morning," Logan said.

"Well, then, that's perfect," Kate said with a nod. "That's the best birthday present for her dad ever."

"Sure as hell outstrips the past few years anyhow," Logan agreed.

"No kidding," Kate agreed fervently as she wrapped him up in a hug and kissed his temple. "Seriously, though. Congratulations."

"You should hold her," Skye said, already handing Daisy over before Kate could say anything. "You gotta get some practice in anyway."

"I — okay," Kate said, very carefully holding the tiny little girl as Kurt grinned over her shoulder.

"Oh yeah. It's a good look," Skye said, elbowing Jubilee. "What do you think?"

Jubilee smiled widely as she nodded. "Oh, definitely."

"Make sure Kurt gets her too," Logan advised.

"You act like I would let that opportunity pass me by," Kurt said, shaking his head in a huff.

"I know how shy you are," Logan teased right back.

" _Lächerlich_." Kurt shook his head at Logan as Kate gently handed off the little one, and he couldn't help but smooth down some of the black hair.

"Oh good. They're bonding," Skye said in a little huff that had all sorts of trouble to it. "I knew we picked well for godfather."

"Mmhmm," Logan agreed. "Fair combo with godmother too."

Kurt looked totally wide-eyed between the two of them. "Who...?"

"Simmons," Skye explained. "Think you can get along with her?"

"I think everyone can get along with her," Kurt chuckled, shaking his head.

"Only cause you haven't had her come at you with needles every time she lays eyes on you," Logan argued.

"And yet you still get along with her," Kurt countered. "The point stands."

Logan frowned at him. "You're so … wrong."

"Just because it's your birthday, I'll let you go ahead and think that," Kurt chuckled before he went back to being totally enraptured with the little girl in his arms.

"You know who we need here," Jubilee said over Skye's shoulder.

"The big plan was to let them come in on their own," Skye said. "But if they're too slow …"

"Yeah, but they've been locked up in their office since the mission yesterday for some reason," Jubilee pouted.

"Do _not_ disturb them," Logan said, shaking his head. "They do their best work when they're left alone to reminisce."

"But they're about to be — they _are_ freaking _grandparents_ ," Jubilee pointed out. "I think that's so, so worth interrupting their pow-wow."

"What if they're not pow-wow-ing?" Logan asked. "You don't want to see it. It's more awkward than Fitzsimmons."

At that, Jubilee put on her 'bravest' face and straightened her shoulders. "I used to have to wrestle Groot into a haircut. I can do anything."

"Nice knowin' ya," Logan called out with a little salute.

Jubilee stuck her tongue out at him in return as she slid down the halls in just her socks all the way to where Coulson's office was to rap on the door. "Alright, Mr. and Mrs. Big and Important, there are Bigger and More Important Things that you _need_ to know about!" she called out between rhythmic knocking.

"Jubilation, we're a little busy," May said as she opened the door with an irritated expression on her face.

"You're not anymore," Jubilee informed her. "Because you and Mr. Big and Important back there are coming to breakfast to meet the _cutest little girl_ in existence."

"What?" Coulson said, almost dropping the file in his hands. "When?"

"Early this morning when we were all sleeping, apparently," Jubilee said and then smacked a big bubble. "So, you're coming, right? Or do I have to drag you, because I will."

"They were supposed to come get me," Coulson said with a little frown.

"Um, it was a middle-of-the-night affair?" Jubilee shrugged one shoulder up to her ear. "And you were all hidden away back here with Mrs. Director, and nobody but little old me is brave enough to step into your _pow-wowing_."

The two old partners shared a look, and May let out a breath before the two of them abandoned their post to head down to the dining room, where Steve was currently mooning over the little girl.

"There they are!" Kate called out in almost a cackle as Steve dutifully made sure that Coulson was holding Daisy within seconds of coming through the door.

Coulson's usually stoic exterior had completely evaporated as he stared down at the little girl openly, falling into a grin when Daisy let out a hitched sigh and snuggled into him in her sleep. "She's …"

"Yeah," Skye agreed, grinning broadly. "That's Daisy May, by the way. Say hi."

If it was possible, Coulson seemed to lose even more of his spy composure and let out a chuckle he couldn't stop, as May beside him blinked hard a few times like she was trying to work it out before a smile slipped past her anyway.

"Congratulations," Logan whispered to Skye. "You broke her."

"And you loved every second of witnessing it," Skye whispered back to him.

"Absolutely," he agreed with a little laugh.

"Whose idea was it?" May asked as she finally seemed to get her feet back underneath her.

"Classified," Logan replied straight-faced.

"No, really," May chuckled, then paused. "It must have been the director, then, if it's classified over _my_ head."

Skye beamed that much wider and shook her head. "Just means I'm the one who classified it."

May gave her a dry look for that one, though with Coulson absolutely beside himself over the little girl, it was hard to communicate the dry look properly because she kept getting distracted smirking at both of them as they sat down to breakfast with the rest of the kids.

Jubilee slipped over to where Logan was with a firmly-affixed smirk and dropped into the chair on his other side. "You were right. They were totally _pow-wowing_ ," she said.

"Of course they were," Logan said, shifting into a more comfortable position. "Every chance they get behind closed doors. Try to say they're 'strategizing', but we know what that means." He turned to her with a troublemaking smirk. "And _that's_ classified too."

Jubilee laughed and laid her head on his shoulder. "Does it count as classified if everyone knows it? Because I don't think it should."

"Shhhhhush," he said, tipping his head her way so he was resting his on top of hers. "Let them think so. They're both real skittish — like a little rabbit or something."

"They're both ridiculous, you mean," Jubilee corrected him. "I mean, for crying out loud, even Clint and Natasha are past it, and _they_ had _problems_."

"And Fitzsimmons," Logan added.

"Yeah, if you're outstripped by Fitzsimmons, that is just _sad_ ," Jubilee agreed, snuggling in a little deeper with a shrug.

Coulson finally caught her teasing and glanced her way before he very gingerly handed little Daisy to May. "Jubilee, I have news for you," he said, still smiling softly as May introduced herself to the little one.

"Is it that you're eloping? Because I can do a mean 24-hour suit," Jubilee replied.

"We're mounting a rescue effort for Noh. He's still alive," Coulson said, ignoring her suggestion outright.

That had her sitting bolt upright, wide-eyed. "Wait… waitaminnut. What?"

"America Chavez outed him. Apparently, _he_ is our mystery Dark Avenger."

Jubilee was staring at him openly by that point, her mouth half open for a long while before she threw both hands up. "That doesn't … that doesn't even make _sense_. Why… How….?"

"We don't have all the details, but America didn't exactly have time to get all of her questions answered, though they did talk. If you want details… Well, I'd suggest letting her sleep off her late night return in most cases, but I'm sure for you …"

"Umm. Yeah. No. She's going to have to sleep later," Jubilee said, already starting to get to her feet. "When did this — how long have you known about this? Because I swear…"

"They got in late last night," Coulson said. "Not as late as Daisy was getting here, but late."

"You could totally have come and told me!" Jubilee said. "I'd have been _totally fine_ waking up in the middle of the night for…. He's _alive_ and you didn't _tell me_?"

Coulson held up both hands to try to settle her down. "Instead of waking you, we've been formulating a plan." He turned toward Logan and Skye — who were smirking at May. "Not … _pow-wowing_."

"Sure, sure. Whatever you called it back in your day," Skye said, nodding along.

"Well, when is this going to happen? Because I _need_ to be there," Jubilee broke in.

Coulson pursed his lips and looked over at May. "That's what we were discussing."

"If you give me 20 minutes and some scissors…" Jubilee offered.

"It'll take longer than twenty minutes," May said. "Most of the team we need are trying to sleep it off right now."

Jubilee pouted with her lower lip out for a second before she turned to Logan. "Hey, Wolvie…"

"Whatcha need, darlin'?" Logan asked, though Skye was solidly snuggled in now.

"Wanna help me hotwire a jet?" she asked. "You can stay here with Daisy; I just need the jet."

"You don't know how to fly it yet," Logan pointed out.

She waved her hand unconcernedly. "I'll make Scott fly me. I'll threaten him if I have to, but I won't have to, because he loves me, don't you, Scott?" she called out to a very confused Scott, who had just entered the dining room to all that was going on — the baby, Jubilee, all of it.

"Good morning," Skye called out to him. "She's pushing for an impromptu mission without any intel — and she's banking that you won't want to meet Daisy May first."

"Well, she's wrong on that part at least," Scott said with a smirk as he and Clara made their way over. "She looks like you, Skye."

"Yes, she got my nose. But I think she looks like Logan," Skye argued.

"She's on painkillers," Logan shot back. "Doesn't know what she's sayin'."

Skye rolled her eyes at Logan. "C'mon, Scott. You so have to hold her," she said, turning back to Scott.

"Oh, I — okay," Scott said as May made sure he had a solid hold of the little one before she let go, though Skye was immediately and quickly rewarded for her efforts with the biggest grin she'd seen since Scott got engaged. "She's kind of perfect, you guys."

"What do you mean 'kind of'?" Skye challenged.

Scott chuckled. "Right, my bad. I meant 'absolutely' perfect, clearly."

"So what's this about a mission?" Clara asked as she sat down.

Logan smirked her way and shook his head. "Didn't think you cared much for missions."

"Well, if you're taking Scott and going with no intel, I think I'd like to know a little more," Clara countered, holding his gaze.

Logan smiled crookedly. "Jubilee wants to do that. Coulson is pushin' for more intel first."

Jubilee nodded seriously. "A- _pparently_ my husband is still _alive,_ and _someone_ thinks we shouldn't go get him back _right this very second_ ," she said, shooting Coulson a little glare.

"Standing in the way of the Line? Really?" Clara asked Coulson's way.

Coulson let out a breath. "I just don't want to lose anyone else while we're getting him back. And we _will_ get him back."

"Where is he, anyway?" Scott asked. "I'm sure Tony can fill in for Skye for intel until she's ready to get back into it if we want to hurry things along."

"That's what we're trying to determine to be sure," Coulson said.

"I have a program running," Skye said with her coffee mug raised to her chin. "I didn't really check it much yet today, but it's running with what they sent last night."

"Wait, you knew about this too?" Jubilee asked.

"Um … I kinda got distracted," Skye said. "And I didn't know that it was Noh — just that my program was Osborn's team to keep track of their crap."

Jubilee crossed her arms over her chest and blew a large bubble until it popped. "Fine," she said at last. "But as _soon_ as you know where they are, I _am_ coming with," she insisted.

"We'll see," May said, crossing her arms. "I won't have you putting yourself in the line of fire."

"Yeah, you really don't have to worry about me. I can handle myself. It's the people between me and Noh you gotta worry about, because they are just… they don't even have a prayer," Jubilee said.

May smirked at her. "If I can get my destination, we'll be taking off to find him before the day is out."

"Good," Jubilee said. "Because it is _criminal_ that I get to meet Daisy and Noh doesn't. Just criminal." She leaned back and grinned over at Daisy. "I have plans for you, little one. Think stripey thoughts."

"Hey. That was never part of the deal," Logan said her way with a frown. "Torture me all you want, but … no."

"Oh, she'll love it. You'll love it. Come on; have I _ever_ let you down?"

He just gave her a dry look with one eyebrow arched.

"Yellow and blue. Or maybe some dark browns with little pink stripes…."

"You're sick."

Jubilee simply smirked his way and blew a larger bubble

In the meantime, Scott had been joined by a very excited Kamala, who spent so much time craning over his shoulder at the teeny tiny little girl that he finally just had to hand Daisy to her so Kamala could properly fawn over her.

"Oh… so… so small," she whispered, snuggling the little girl with a wide grin, though it wasn't long at all before Daisy started to fuss a little as she woke up. "Oh… ummm…" Kamala glanced over at Logan and Skye. "Right, you probably miss Mom and Dad?" she offered, already slipping over to where the two of them were to hand Daisy to Logan. "Didn't mean to wake her up, sorry!"

"She was bound to get up soon anyhow," Skye said, grinning to herself as Logan held her just so — and the little one settled out quickly.

"Looks like she knows her dad," Kamala said with a grin.

"No, no, Logan's just like that," Kate supplied with a troublemaking smile over the top of her coffee.

"Oh, knock it off," Logan grumbled Kate's way.

"Like you're not going to be this adorable with your godbaby. Come on," Kate shot back easily.

"I'm not adorable."

"You are a liar."

"I think everyone gets to be adorable if they're holding a baby," Kamala pointed out. "It's sort of a rule."

"It's not," Logan argued.

"No, no, Kamala's right," Skye said.

"You're compromised," Logan said with a frown. "And high."

"And you're adorable," Skye teased him as she kissed his cheek, though it was hard for Logan to argue when she had just had a baby, so he simply shook his head at her and kissed her forehead.


	43. A Much Worse Birthday Present

**Chapter 43: A Much Worse Birthday Present**

The whole house was either on a baby high or getting keyed up for the upcoming mission to save Noh, and it was just about the most serious buzz Kamala had seen in a long time. Everyone was involved with the prep, too. The whole place felt _tense_ , and it was a bit unnerving.

But ... the weather was absolutely perfect. It looked like it might snow soon, but the gathering clouds were the only part of the winterscape that wasn't _amazing_. There were already a few inches of snow on the ground anyway, and as for the rest of it? The air was relatively warm, the trees were gorgeous, and Kamala was just in a good mood.

"Skye was already joking about getting snowed in again," Miles said, shaking his head as he looked toward the mountains in the distance. "I think Logan might be right. She's on painkillers."

"Oh, I hope we don't get snowed in. Everyone was wanting to go and get Noh back," Kamala said earnestly. "And then we can get snowed in after that ; I don't mind."

"Pretty sure that, snowed in or not, once the Line is reunited, it's going to be a snuggle fest all over the place. Did you _see_ Mrs. O'Malley?"

Kamala giggled and nodded. "She looked like she was going to turn into a _puddle_ right there in the middle of the kitchen." She grinned as she and Miles walked around the treeline, kicking up snow and holding hands. "Not that you could really blame her. Daisy is seriously _so,_ so cute."

"Even Mrs. Hopkins was smiling," he said with a laugh.

"I'm just waiting for them to start calling her ' _our Daisy_ '. You know, like they do with Logan?"

"Yeah, that's just weird," Miles said, making a face.

"I think it's kind of sweet," Kamala said. "Really."

"Well, I still say it's weird. They're the only ones that get away with calling him 'James'."

"Well, that's what his name was when he lived here," she pointed out. "It's not _that_ weird."

"So, so weird."

She giggled and rolled her eyes at him. "If you say so," she said, letting go of his hand for just a second so she could stoop down and pelt him with a snowball before he could react.

"Hey!" He wiped the snow off of his face and was already crouching down to pick up some snow of his own. "What was that for?"

"You were overthinking things!" she called out over her shoulder. "I simplified matters!"

"Oh… you're _on_ ," he said with a grin before the snowball fight started in earnest, both of them red-faced and laughing by the time Kamala snuck up on him and pushed him over in the snow to show several handfuls of it down his shirt.

"COLD! Cold, cold, cold, cold," Miles yelled, jumping back to his feet and trying to pat the snow out of his shirt as Kamala leaned against a tree and laughed at him.

"Well, isn't this just precious," the low growling voice rang out through the trees.

Both of them stopped dead in their tracks, and Miles didn't think about it before he pulled Kamala by the hand behind him, though he couldn't see where the danger was yet. "We gotta get outta here," he muttered before he started to pull her along, only then realizing that they were as far out from the house as they were. He turned his head to check on Kamala, and when he looked ahead of himself again, all he saw was a massive arm for a split second before he simply ran into it, knocking himself and Kamala backward onto the ground.

Before he could so much as think to avoid it, Creed's massive hand whipped through the air and sliced him across the chest. Creed then followed it up with a hard hit that sent him spinning. Miles fell forward onto his hands and knees, hardly able to breathe for as much as everything hurt.

Kamala tried to kick at him, but she hadn't judged for his speed, and he grabbed her foot and yanked her off her feet, dragging her closer. He reached down to grab her arms, and she promptly socked him square in the nose, breaking it with a loud crack before he snatched her arms up and yanked them behind her back. He held her down in the snow, his knee in the center of her back as he tied her up.

Miles tried to struggle to his feet, though he was clearly having a hard time. "Don't _touch_ her," he growled out, grabbing the little wrist shooter that he kept in his pocket to tinker with to tag Creed in the arm.

Creed reached over to him and pulled him closer by the foot too before he grabbed at Miles' arms and wrenched off the wrist shooter to crush it, breaking Miles' arm in the process. "Wish I had more time to play," Creed said with a casual smirk. "Grown up things to do, twerp."

Miles felt the blood drain out of his face. "Don't… You can't — let her go!" he stammered out, wishing he sounded braver — and wishing he could get a solid breath.

"Try to stop me, pipsqueak," Creed laughed before he kicked Miles' in the knee, dropping the young man in his tracks. Creed laughed openly as Miles screamed, then threw a clearly terrified Kamala over his shoulder. Before he started to leave, he tossed an envelope at Miles' feet and sauntered off into the woods.

Miles was left in the snow, very sure he had lost track of his stomach somewhere. It took him a long moment just to get some kind of handle on himself enough to stare down at the envelope in his hand before he clenched his fingers around it and started to slowly crawl toward the house, shouting at the top of his lungs once he remembered how to speak. He kept right out shouting, or as close as he could get to it, until he couldn't anymore and simply collapsed in the snow within sight of the kitchen windows.

* * *

In the kitchen, Clint had been making over his yellow lab, who was getting totally spoiled with all the food Mrs. O'Malley was putting out with how happy she was. But all of a sudden, Cupcake flattened his ears and let out a little whine before he suddenly dashed off through the door.

"What's the matter, boy?" Clint asked, following the yellow lab. He had just stepped out of the kitchen door when he spotted Miles in the snow, a trail of blood behind him. He rushed over and scooped him up, patting his cheek once he was upright again. "Miles? Hey, c'mon, what's going on?"

"Kamala," was the insistent response. "He's got Kamala."

"Who?" Clint asked, eyeing the damage Miles had sustained and starting to get a very, very sinking feeling.

But the kid just shook his head and pressed something against Clint's hand. It was an envelope, now slightly more red than yellow. " _Kamala_ ," Miles repeated.

"Right, yeah, I got that part," Clint said as he carried Miles further inside, headed right for Hank's lab. He didn't even think about the envelope until Miles was at least bandaged up properly — and only then did he slit open the letter.

A few numbers. A couple letters. "Coordinates?" Clint said out loud as he looked it over.

Hank stopped what he was doing and turned Clint's way. "Is that all it is?"

"It's for Logan," Clint said. He shook his head. "He's got _Kamala?_ " He all but skidded over to where Miles was, wincing when he saw the damage, though at least on some painkillers, the kid was doing better. "What happened?" he asked quickly.

Miles looked downright terrified. "We were just playing in the snow," he muttered out. "He — it was Creed and he — he—" He took several breaths as he tried to sit up straighter despite Hank's gentle hand on his shoulder as he looked him over. "He took her, Clint. He grabbed Kamala and tied her up and — you can't let him hurt her, _please_!"

"We'll get her back," Clint promised before he looked up at Hank. "Those are for Logan," he said. "If we move fast, maybe we'll make it before he… Before anything happens." He grabbed the envelope.

Clint ran at top speed across the way to Logan's room, and he barely held himself back long enough to gently knock before he pushed the door open to find the new little family curled up around little Daisy.

"The hell's gotten into you, Barton?" Logan asked.

"Creed." He had the envelope in an outstretched hand. "He took Kamala, and I need you to point us. You can stay here with Daisy; I figure I can just grab Mac's gun and then stick nine arrows in his brain for good measure. Just want to double-check with you that this isn't some significant place or outright trap. I mean, it is a trap, but you know what I mean."

"No," Logan said as he took the coordinates. "He's going to keep pushing. I need to deal with him." He thought about it for a minute as he scrunched his face up, looking at the numbers on the page. "Where's Kurt?"

"Last I heard, he was checking on Katie," Clint said. "He's probably getting her coffee."

"Okay. Make sure they're alright. I'll meet you two in the hangar." When Clint left, Logan turned to Skye. "He's just going to keep coming."

"Just don't do anything stupid, and you'll be fine," Skye said. "And if you come back with so much as a scratch on you, we're going to have _words_."

"Not gonna be a problem," he promised before he gave both Skye and Daisy a longer kiss and got to his feet. "I'm not going to let him hurt anyone else."

* * *

The boys were to the hangar in record time when Logan got there, though he was a little surprised to see that Scott was there too.

"You don't.… Clint can fly if you want to stick with Clara to keep watch," Logan said.

"Mac came up; he can handle things here," Scott said. "I figure you're going to need backup if Creed's not alone — and you've got a kid to come home to."

"Okay," Logan said, nodding slowly as he looked between the group of them. "I won't turn that down, but here's the thing. This spot? It's not an easy one to get to, so you can't land normally."

"Between the two of us, we can manage it," Scott said, tipping his head Clint's way.

Logan nodded his agreement and went into 'briefing' mode. "When we get there," Logan said, "there's only two or three spots he might be hiding. We're gonna have to split up, but it's a straight shot between all of them."

Kurt nodded quietly. "If you find him first, shout for me."

"It's not going to be that big of a deal. _Really_. But we _all_ keep our comms on."

Kurt raised an eyebrow. "I know you've been training, Logan, but you can't just... " He sighed. "You _have_ to tell me if there's trouble. Have you even slept yet?"

"I promise I'll tell you if there's trouble." Logan had one hand over his heart as he said it. "And I'm _fine._ "

"Then let's get this bird in the air," Clint said as he and Scott rushed through the takeoff as much as they could. "Don't like the idea of Kamala being stuck with the creep for even a second."

Logan was silent and still as he handed Scott the bloodstained coordinates for where they were headed, waiting for Scott to look his way and nod before he turned to take a seat with Kurt.

The coordinates were to a spot Logan described as a hard overhang. There was a cave on the side of a mountain — wide open, but hard to reach — and the terrain around it was far too steep to land on. Scott got them as close as he could without endangering the plane before Clint took over and then promised to keep an eye out and figure out how to do damage if he needed to.

And with that, the other boys simply jumped. Scott took off down the first fork in the road not long after, and Kurt and Logan made their way a little further on before it forked again, just as Logan had said it would. He and Kurt shared a look as to who would go which way.

"High or low, Elf?"

"I think this time, you should take the high road," Kurt said with a soft smirk. "Just for once."

"I'll try not to get spoiled," Logan replied before the two of them shared a nod and parted company.

They were maybe half a mile down their respective paths when the mountain started to shake just the tiniest bit. Logan looked up above him and saw, high up and back a little way, that the snow was starting to shift. He grabbed his comm and shouted to the others. "Avalanche — get out of the way!" while he ran for the other side of the curve in the path, hoping to avoid it himself.

* * *

For Kurt, Logan's message came through just as he was starting to see rocks and snowballs rolling ahead of him. He looked ahead and behind himself and started to run forward, but before he could reach the other side, the wall of snow hit him.

He covered his head and actually managed to hug the mountainside, and when the roaring in his ears stopped, he was surprised to find that he was in one piece and nothing felt broken, though "bruised" was an accurate description. The snow was packed around him, though, and he'd lost his radio somewhere in it, so he set to digging himself out, the sound echoing loudly in the sort of hollowed-out area in the snow where he was digging. Frustratingly, he could even occasionally see glimpses of sunlight and the other side of the avalanche — before more snow and rocks would tumble down.

He was stuck.

* * *

Scott, on the other hand, found himself not only above the avalanche but at the root cause of it. He'd heard the blast and covered his head, but from where he was, the damage was downhill — and the explosion had been close enough that he was sure he could spot whoever had done it.

It only took him a minute to find the blonde figure in the snow — but it wasn't the blonde he was expecting. It was Kyle Gibney, not Victor Creed.

To emphasize the whole fiasco, he could hear Creed's voice through a radio of some sort, angry and growling almost as he reamed the guy out for 'jumping the gun'. _I wanted him isolated, not buried, you idiot,_ Creed snarled.

That was all Scott needed to hear before he rushed forward and hit Kyle hard, sending him flying with the force of the hit before he pulled out his icer and fired twice. But Kyle dodged the shots — or was wearing something that deflected them off of his body. As soon as he'd started to move, he started throwing things at Scott in an effort to get him to stop shooting.

Scott ducked and dodged himself, angling to get a shot, and when he couldn't get one, he just drew back to hit Kyle as the two of them went down in a tangle and a rough wrestling match. The guy didn't fight fair, either, and as Scott got in a good, solid shot to his gut that knocked the wind out of him, Kyle responded by biting hard on Scott's arm so that Scott couldn't follow it up when Kyle was getting his breath back.

With a shout, Scott managed to disentangle himself and then lunged to tackle the guy, landing a solid punch to Kyle's jaw before Kyle kicked him back several feet. Scott felt part of the ground give way underneath him and jumped to avoid the trap there, and while he managed to avoid falling into the pit, Kyle leapt forward as well to get on top of Scott to tear into him.

Scott let out a shout as Kyle managed a solid swipe — apparently, Kyle had taken the idea of following Creed to its logical end and gotten himself some claws — and managed to get his legs between himself and Kyle as Kyle drew back to slice him open the rest of the way. With a mighty shove, Scott tossed Kyle back and away, and Kyle went flying, losing his footing as he slid in the ice until he toppled backwards into the pit that Scott had only just avoided.

Wincing slightly, Scott pulled himself up to his feet and rushed over to the pit — though he grimaced and shook his head, looking away from where Kyle had been impaled on the spikes below. He was very clearly dead.

* * *

Logan tried to call out to the others through the comms, but all he heard was fuzz. Torn between checking on Kurt and Scott or looking for Kamala, he tried Clint. "I can't reach Kurt or Scott," Logan said. "When you come through, Scott went right on the first fork, Kurt went left on the second — let me know which way you go."

"Can do," Clint promised. "One rescue, if need be, sunny-side-up."

"I'll leave the comm on if I run into him," Logan promised.

"I can launch some of Fitz's dwarves to look, too. There's a few in the plane, and I've seen him do it."

"Good. Do it. I'm on the other side of the snow; see you in a few," Logan said before he started hiking back up the trail again. When he got nearly to the end of the trail, Creed called out to him.

"About damn time you showed up," he grumbled. "I was gonna be mad if you got caught up in that snow." He grinned and gestured toward Kamala, who looked terrified but otherwise okay as she squirmed, her arms tied behind her as Creed held her by her foot. "I've got your little buddy all tied up like a present. But I didn't hurt her. Of course, I have no problem hurting her if you don't wanna play the game right."

Logan calmly kept walking toward him. "I'm not playing your stupid game, Vic."

"Oh? Do I gotta remind you who you're dealing with here?" Creed asked with a wicked grin, and Kamala looked wide-eyed between them.

"I know exactly who I'm dealing with," Logan replied "You just want to torment me, as usual. But it's not gonna happen. Enough with the stupid plots. Put the girl down, eh?"

Creed glared at him for the longest time, trying to figure out his angle.

"Come on; get what you dragged me out here for," Logan urged. "You can just dump her after you kill me anyhow." That got a little squeak of terror out of Kamala, even after Creed dropped her headlong in the snow.

"I can't believe it," Victor said quietly. "I'm almost mistin' up. I actually broke you. It's about damn time." With that, Creed rushed him, his arm drawn back and ready to strike as Logan simply stood there, his arms loosely at his sides, waiting for him.

When Creed brought his arm down to slash him, though, Logan very calmly knocked his hand away with an easy block that took Creed off-guard. The next few hits were all the same. Creed would strike and Logan very calmly deflected it or simply stepped out of the way of kicks, claws, the whole nine. It didn't matter.

"What do you think you're doin', boy?" Creed barked out. "You're just puttin' off the inevitable!" The kick he'd aimed at Logan's middle whiffed as Logan side-stepped him.

All at once, Creed rushed Logan and grabbed him by the arms to shake him. "We're gonna do this like we always do! Let it out — show that animal inside! You just pretend you don't have it; come on, _do it!"_

Logan just threw himself forward and headbutted Creed, knocking him backward. "No. I keep telling you — I'm nothing like you."

With a roar, Creed got to his feet, and the dance started again — though this time, Logan wasn't just avoiding his strikes; he was throwing in his own attacks as Creed would rush past him, angry and grabbing for him.

It didn't take long before Creed was littered with deep gashes. Although Logan had a fair amount of blood on him, he had yet to let Creed land a hit that would do more than bruise. When he finally saw that Victor had enough, he lunged forward and sank his claws into Victor's chest, just over his heart. But this time, he drew straight down, slicing it into four chunks.

As Creed hit the ground on his knees, Logan used his other handful of claws to decapitate him, and then, as his body fell, he made sure to kick his head down the mountain.

For just a moment, Logan stood there, not really seeing what was going on around him, though the whine of one of the dwarves over his shoulder got him to turn his head toward the drone. He closed his eyes for a moment and let out a cleansing breath, then walked to a snow bank to scrub off some of the blood on his hands. He glanced over to where Creed had dropped Kamala in the snow and finally headed her way after he'd gotten most of the blood off his hands. "Are you alright?" he asked as he cut away the ropes.

She nodded a bit shakily, though she couldn't help but smile at him. "You totally kicked his butt," she said.

"He had it coming a few dozen times over," Logan replied as he offered her a hand to stand up. She grabbed hold of his hand for a second but didn't make it far when she tried to stand on her left foot.

" _Ow._ " She gasped out. "I mean _ow_."

He set her back down and looked to the foot she was pointing at. It was clearly swollen and incredibly tender to the touch. "Okay, new plan," he said as he scooped her up. "Can you hold on? It's going to take a little longer this way."

She nodded and hooked her arms around his neck and shoulders. "You totally kicked his butt. I mean, just ... wow," she said again.

He smirked at her a little bit and started to head down the mountain. "I think the others got caught up in the avalanche," he told her as the snow came into view. "I haven't heard a word from Kurt or Scott. We need to find 'em if Clint hasn't already. You gonna freak out on me if I set you down?"

"Just don't _drop_ me," she told him with a little nod.

When they got to the snow, he hiked across the top of it slowly, looking for any sign of their two missing teammates. But before he found them, Kamala suddenly tapped him in the center of the chest. "Does that look like a hand? Because that looks like a hand to me."

He looked to where she was pointing. "Yeah. It kinda does," he admitted before he set her down carefully on the snow and made his way to the blue-tinted hand and started to dig. The snow was packed down and hard to move, but little by little, he could see more of Kurt's uniform.

As Logan was working, Clint and Scott finally arrived, panting and red-faced; they'd clearly been running the whole way over. "This one killed the mini-Creed," Clint panted out. "Lemme help with the brother-in-law."

Scott, of course, wasn't going to just stand by, though, and while Clint and Logan were digging, he made his way over to Kamala. "Are you alright?" he asked, concern clear to hear in his voice.

She nodded quickly. "I'm fine," she promised. "I hurt my ankle, but that's it. Logan totally kicked that guy's butt."

Scott smirked lightly. "Obviously if you guys are here…"

"You so missed the show, Scott," she said with a little grin.

"Yeah, I'm sure it was something," he said shaking his head as he tried to look at her ankle for her.

The other two kept digging, surprised at the angle Kurt was at in relation to his arm, but when they finally cleared the snow from his head, he gasped out, thankful for a full breath as they continued to dig.

"You alright, Elf? Lookin' a little blue on me," Logan said with his head tipped far to the side, trying to get him thinking and talking.

It took a second for Kurt to respond with a chattered out, "F-freezing."

"We're gonna fix that," Logan promised. "Clint here is overheated, and I've heard rumors that there are some things called 'shock blankets' on the jets. Whatever that means."

"I can get you to the mystical shock blankets, but I'm all sweaty and gross," Clint agreed. "Sorry in advance." He looked over his shoulder to where Kamala was with Scott and took her in for a second, his gaze sharp and finding her ankle, before he turned back to Kurt. "Kamala's here, too. You missed the party, apparently."

"Wasn't much of a party, really," Logan muttered as he and Clint got Kurt to his feet.

"It was more of a very, very one-sided total takedown of a stupid, ugly bad guy," Kamala explained with a giggle.

"Exaggerating," Logan said Kamala's way before he turned his attention to the way she was shivering — and the fact that Scott was bloodied and pale from the fight with Kyle. "You look cold," he told Kamala. "Clint, can you take this one, and I'll get the other one?"

Clint nodded and scooped Kurt up with a small grin. "Alright, kiddo. Hang on, okay? Gotta get you to Katie Kate."

When Logan went to pick up Kamala again, he gave her a little look. "You're a terrible storyteller," he told her quietly.

"Am not," she shot back. "You're just too modest, so I gotta make sure they _know_."

"Yeah, I get that complaint all the time, don't I, Slim?" he deadpanned. " _Modest_."

"Oh, all the time." Scott smirked.

"It was really amazing," she insisted. "You kicked his butt and saved me, so I get to tell it how I like it."

"Your story," Logan agreed. "I won't get in your way of it. Just make sure you put up the notice that it's fiction."

"Oh? You think Fitz's dwarves missed all of it, then?" Kamala challenged, and Logan simply gave her an appraising look before ignoring the question altogether.

When they got back to the plane, both Kamala and Kurt were cold, and Clint was yanking out the blankets on board as well as anything that might double as one while Scott got them ready for takeoff. Once Clint had them more or less bundled, he went to the cockpit to make sure Scott got seen to as well.

In the meantime, though, both of the human ice cubes had gone right for the nearest heat source — which meant Logan spent the ride back in between them both, very tightly huddled.

Clint called ahead to let Hank and Simmons know that he had two pretty well frozen kids and an injured pilot, but he was also sure to report the rest of the situation. "And in our top story today, Big and Ugly sat on a wall and had a great fall and ain't nobody putting him back together again with his head that far down a mountain apart from the rest of him. Oh, and Logan's fine, by the way."

"He listens really well when he wants to," Logan said quietly to Kamala.

She giggled a bit. "Only when he wants to," she agreed.

When they got back to the house, none of them were all that surprised to see that most of the Tahiti kids — and others — had turned out for the welcoming committee, once news had spread that Creed was dead. Likely they wanted to know what had happened, though once Clint set them down, neither Kurt nor Kamala seemed to be in a hurry to move.

"Alright you two — time to move," Logan said. "I can't stay here forever." When the hatch opened a few minutes later, letting in the cold winter breeze, both of them shivered and curled in a bit tighter. The view out of the plane was quickly obscured ,though, by many of those that had gathered to greet them.

"Why is it that you'll snuggle those two without a fight?" Wade said out of nowhere as he stomped onto the plane.

"I _like_ them," Logan countered. "And they actually needed it — they were freezing."

"Well, that just hurts my feelings," Wade said, shaking his head as Peter climbed onto the plane as well.

"C'mon, Kamala, I know where Miles is," Peter said, shaking his head at Wade.

"Her ankle is probably broken," Logan said as he helped Peter get situated.

Peter nodded and shifted her a bit in his arms. "Okay, Tiny K. Let's get that seen to." Even before he'd gotten her out of the plane, Logan could hear her tiredly retelling the story of the fight — still exaggerating.

"I got the other one," Clint said as he made his way over to pick up Kurt. "Carried him this far, after all. And medical's on my way anyhow."

Logan nodded and started to shut the plane up with Scott after Clint left. "What about you?" Logan asked, gesturing to Scott's injuries. "You're going to probably want that checked over."

"Yeah, I know. Just finishing up," Scott said.

Logan waited for him, concerned that the kid might pass out with no one around to help him if he did. When Scott finished, he turned back Logan's way and raised an eyebrow. "You've got better places to be," he said as he climbed out of the cockpit.

"Going there too, just as soon as I know that you're not going to pass out alone."

"I'm going to Hank's lab next, I swear," Scott said, one hand raised.

"I believe you," Logan said, following him a few paces back. "But I'd never hear the end of it if Skye's AD died on the way to medical."

Scott smirked the slightest bit and shook his head as he headed down to the lab. And Logan stayed just long enough to see Simmons drop what she was doing in her research and rush over to Scott before he turned to head up to his room. All he wanted at this point was a bite to eat and to curl up with his girls _after_ a very thorough shower.

He didn't get far, though, before Coulson stopped him in the hallway. "What were you _thinking_?" he demanded.

Logan stopped and very calmly took in a deep breath. "That if I didn't deal with him, he'd kill Kamala and come here next for the girls."

"Logan, you don't have to deal with everything on your own. You have _teammates_ that can deal with problems like this—"

"I brought teammates," Logan defended. "Kept everyone connected and everything."

"Skye _just_ had a baby, Logan, and you can't just run off!"

"I know," Logan replied calmly. "Not going to need to again either."

Coulson glowered at Logan for a long while. "Just tell me this: how certain are you that he's gone?"

"Pretty damned certain," Logan said seriously. "I cut his heart to shreds and kicked his head down the mountain."

Coulson stared at him for a moment before he cleared his throat. "Well, yes, that would do it."

"Kamala can fill you in — but she's got a colorful retelling," Logan said. "Take it with a grain of salt. Right now, I'm going to bring my wife dinner and scrub off the blood." He held his hands out at his sides. "And I didn't even need to see medical. Not one scratch."

Coulson let out a long sigh and scrubbed his hand over his face. "I just don't want Daisy growing up without her dad," he said at last.

Logan looked to his hands for a moment. "That's not what I'm trying to do," he said. "But no matter what, they're taken care of."

"That's not the point, and you know it," Coulson said sternly.

"And I'm agreeing with you," Logan replied. "You're just too mad to hear it." He gave Coulson a little look and stepped around him. "You send out that team for Noh yet?"

"Not yet," Coulson admitted. "We were waiting to see how things turned out with this nonsense."

"Well, before you do, you might want to have Fitz check his drones over. Clint launched them, and God only knows if they're still functional."

Coulson smirked. "I'll let him know, but I'm sure if they were launched, he already knows."

At that, Logan stopped and turned back to Coulson with a frown. "I thought they needed to be steered? Directed. Clint didn't have the time to screw around with it."

Coulson shrugged. "Fitz is particular about his toys. He has an alert system if they're launched, so he would have known — and could have steered them within minutes of getting to his lab.

"Well crap," Logan growled out before he gestured toward Fitz's lab. "I guess if you wanna know what happened.…He'll be the man to ask."

"I'll do that," Coulson said with a nod. "Now, I think you were going back to your room?"

"I _was_ ," Logan agreed. "Before I got held up and yelled at. You're taking your directorly duties too seriously."

"It's not my directorly duties that I was concerned with, to be honest."

"Yeah? Say it, and I'll make sure everyone lays off the push to see you make May an honest woman."

Coulson gave Logan a dry look. "You're the one leading the push."

"You sure about that?" Logan asked.

Coulson shook his head. "I'll let you know when we make our run for Noh."

"Don't bother," Logan said, walking off again. "I'm not going. You got plenty of firepower."

"Yes, but if things don't go our way, you'll need to be there with Jubilee until we can try again," Coulson pointed out.

Logan turned to face him again. "If you're that concerned, I'll go in ahead of them and pull him out when they start the distraction. Might also accidentally light fire to Osborn's servers. But If I gotta go, there won't be any regrouping. It'll be a one-shot deal."

Coulson shook his head. "It's not concern, necessarily. It's just that talking with the kids who were there, it sounds like there's a minor in the mix that Noh's gotten close to."

Logan nodded. "And you know what I was trained for. If it's a surgical extraction …"

"I'll let you know," Coulson said. "But that's part of why we haven't moved yet. We're trying to shed a little more light on this girl as well, in case we do need to pull her too."

"You know where to find me," Logan replied before he slipped off down a side hall.

When he finally showed up at his room, Skye was half curled around Daisy, just watching her sleep. He set dinner down on the table next to the bed and gave her a quick kiss before disappearing to clean up with the promise that everyone was fine. And she didn't need to shatter anyone's anything for now.

* * *

Kurt and Kamala were both down at Hank's lab long before Scott was, and Hank busied himself with making sure they were both gradually warmed up — and that Kamala's ankle was properly treated — before Scott arrived and he turned his attention that way.

But he wasn't the only one in the lab, either. Heather had come up to the manor with Mac when she heard what happened and had been, until the rescue party arrived, sitting with a very upset Miles as he recounted his experience and fretted over what could have happened to Kamala.

But once Kamala was _there_ , in the lab, Miles was much less upset, just grinning at her quietly as Kamala told the story of her rescue and how Creed hadn't even been able to _touch_ Logan.

"I have never, in my life, seen such a one-sided fight," Kamala concluded with a decisive nod. "It was just… so, so amazing."

"Well, I'm certainly glad to hear you're safe," Heather said, fussing over her and straightening up Kamala's hair. "And if it was as easy as you said, then … all the better." _So he can be in one piece when I kill him_ , she thought to herself.

Kamala nodded, still riding the high of her escape; the color was starting to come back to her cheeks. "We had to dig Kurt out of a mountain, though," she said with a teasing grin Kurt's way.

Heather frowned and looked toward Kurt. "And … doesn't he have a pregnant wife he should be taking care of?" Heather asked. "Instead of cavorting after serial killers, _Mr. Wagner?"_

Kurt held up both hands. "I wasn't going to let him go _alone_ ," he argued.

"Don't you worry, I'll get to him tomorrow," Heather promised.

"We had good backup," Kurt argued. "Clint and Scott were there."

"Oh, yes. I almost forgot that you took my _son_ along with you to find the serial killer."

Kurt shook his head. "He _volunteered_ ," he countered. "And he was the one to find and kill Creed's backup."

Heather gave him a dry look for a moment. "You're not helping your case as anything but a bad influence."

"I thought you'd be proud to hear it?" Kurt offered.

"Proof you've been spending too much time with Logan," Heather said. "I thought you'd get _him_ out of that stupid mindset — not that he'd drag you with him."

Kurt shook his head. "I'm not saying that's the only answer — but when it comes to Creed and, unfortunately, those that follow him? Come on, Heather. You and I both know there are exceptions to every rule."

Heather watched him for a moment. "Where is _your expectant wife?_ "

Kurt paused for a moment and let out his breath. "Last I spoke with her, she was with Natasha, catching up on what happened last night in Twelve," he said. "I think leaving her with her sister-in-law is fine, _ja_?"

"So she doesn't know you're here yet," Heather guessed. "And you don't think she's worried about you?"

"I'm sure she is," Kurt admitted. "I'll see her as soon as Hank clears me, I promise."

"You can't act like an idiot, Kurt," Heather told him. "It's now officially illegal to act that stupid. Creed or no."

Kurt gave her a little smirk. "Well, Creed is gone, so that shouldn't be a problem."

"Yeah, I'm sure I've heard that before," she said, shaking her head.

Kurt chuckled. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, I've been informed that snuggling and body heat is a necessity."

"I really don't need to hear the details," Heather said airily.

Kurt grinned at that and leaned back. "Yes ma'am."

She all but whipped around to face him. "Watch it, mister," she warned. "I am _not_ that old."

Kurt leaned forward with a twinkle in his eyes. "You have a son my age."

"Then maybe I need to turn you both over my knee," she countered.

Kurt grinned even wider. "I'm sure you won't need to. You know Clara and Kate will get there first anyway," he said.

Almost to prove his point, Kate poked her head into the room — sent in by the other Hawkeye after he'd filled her in — and almost immediately climbed into the bed next to Kurt, with some effort.

"You are supposed to tell me when there is medically-required snuggling," she told Kurt with a stern look that had him chuckling.

He pulled her into a hug and kissed the top of her head. "How very remiss of me."

"You better make it up to me, mister," Kate informed him.

"Yes, of course," he said before he simply pulled her into a much longer kiss that, for the moment, seemed to let him off the hook.


	44. A Fair Trade

**Chapter 44: A Fair Trade**

* * *

 _December 1_

 _Howlett Manor_

* * *

After the birthday he'd had yesterday, Logan had slept in, and Skye thought he looked so peaceful curled up with Daisy that she left the two of them that way as she slipped down to get some coffee and snacks.

She had her arms full of snacks on her way back when Fitz stopped her. "So-o-o-o," Fitz said, sliding in beside her. "Have you heard Kamala's story yet? She's been telling everyone."

"I … have been spending my time curled up and snuggling," she replied. "So, no, I have not heard Kamala's gripping tale of her kidnapping. I swear … that girl should write."

"Well, fear not," Fitz said with a grin as he draped an arm over her shoulders. " _I_ have the whole thing on tape. And if you want to bring your snacks this way, Simmons and I have popcorn."

"Really?" Skye said in a dry tone. "Popcorn? Aren't you _maybe_ overselling it? The story can't be that good. And she can tell me later."

"You said it — she should write," Fitz said. "If it's half as good as she says it is..."

She raised an eyebrow his way. "What do you mean … what have you got, exactly?"

He grinned at her. "Just come with me, Skye."

" _Fine_ ," she said with a little growl. "But I am missing out on some super awesome, grade 'A' snuggles for this. The smile, Fitz. It's something that can't be replaced."

Fitz raised both eyebrows. "Well, that does sound good… Alright, as soon as we're done here... I mean, it's only about half an hour…"

Again, Skye faltered, almost frowning at him. " _What's_ half an hour? Come on, don't tease." But she was gathering up her snacks all the same.

He grinned wider and then steered her into the lab, where Simmons already had the video queued up. "Oh, hello Skye," Simmons said warmly as Fitz dropped in to sit next to her.

"I'm told you have something worth watching?" Skye said as she took a drink of her cocoa.

"Oh, absolutely," Simmons said with a nod as Fitz hit the 'play' button and the three of them just let the whole thing play out.

There were several points where Skye almost flinched back away from the screen, though at the end, when the fight was over, and Creed's head was booted down the mountain, she couldn't hide the smile when she saw the moment that Logan realized the camera was there — and then pointedly ignored it.

"He ... neglected to say… any of that happened," Skye said. "All he said was that it was taken care of."

"Well, it certainly was," Simmons said with both eyebrows raised.

Fitz nodded quietly. "Well." He let out a long breath. "I did promise you could go back to your grade-A snuggles."

"Is that all? You don't have Kamala's story telling too? Because I'm curious on how close her version is." Skye was trying to keep from laughing, very pleased that the guys had gotten the job _done_ and over with. After all this time.

"Well, no… we have the actual in-person stuff… but if you want, we can stop by…" Fitz said. "She hasn't left Miles' side this whole time."

"No, I think I'm good," she replied, still smiling. "Tell her we can talk later — and I might need to see how much of that is editable when Osborn starts talking about how tight he is on criminals." Skye got up and gathered up a few of her snacks and started to head off — though the closer she got to the room, the quicker she was moving. And when she _did_ get there, she just had to smile wider as Logan and Daisy were apparently just staring at each other.

"See, and you said there was no such thing as 'adorable' when it came to you," she teased.

"You're crazy, woman," he replied without missing a beat.

She laughed and climbed in next to them. "So. I saw the footage from the mountain, and I have to admit, that was actually really satisfying."

Logan glanced up at her and watched her smile for a moment. "How much did they get?"

"Started around the same time you got there," she admitted.

He let out a breath and shook his head. "So the whole thing."

"It got kind of rough for a second or two," she admitted.

"Which second or two?" he asked with a little smirk. "Because that damn thing was as close to a cake walk as I've had in a while."

"It really was," she agreed. "I'm just not much for, you know, gore. Even when it's oh-so-satisfying."

He shrugged lightly. "Sometimes, that's just how to get it done," he replied. "Figured I'd be _sure._ "

"Well, I appreciate that," she said. "Because that means you and me … all that's pressing is snuggles and the staring contest I interrupted."

"Can't help it," he said, smiling crookedly. "Looks like you."

She grinned at him and leaned over to kiss first him and then Daisy. "I still think she looks like you."

"And I still say you're crazy, woman."

"You did marry me," she pointed out.

"Wasn't a complaint; just pointing out the obvious."

She grinned and snuggled in a little better. "If you say so."

"Gotta be at least part crazy to be director," he teased.

"Tell that to AC."

"We talked last night," he said. "Still doesn't know what he's doing about Noh."

Skye frowned at that. "I thought they'd be gone by now."

"He tried to guilt trip me about going for Vic — but then said that they hadn't solidified plans."

"Well, that's just dumb," Skye said. "Jubes is _dying_. The Line is in _jeopardy."_

"The Line'll make it," Logan promised. "If I gotta go drag him out myself, it'll be fine. And it won't be the first time."

"Yeah, I've heard that story," Skye said. "Jubes has been trading stories with me and Kate while we've been taking turns with the snuggles."

"She doesn't even know the story," he argued as the little one started to wiggle.

Skye shrugged. "It was a lot of 'Noh said this' and 'Honey said that', but she knows the story."

"Noh and Honey were compromised and emotionally unstable. Horrible to get any story from," he said before he looked up at her again. "You know that, Director."

She smirked and leaned over to steal a kiss. "Right. Sure. It's a good story anyway, though."

"Wonder if Noh'll be mad his loser in aluminum foil is dead?"

"Not in the least," Skye said. "I mean, he broke his hand trying to rearrange the guy's face."

"Yeah, but that was before the _daring_ rescue with bombs in the floor."

"Nope, pretty sure even that won't make the guy likeable, and Noh has good taste."

Logan shook his head. "I don't know. I wouldn't put it by Vic to have grabbed his ass."

"See, now that mental image is in my head, and I'm never, ever going to be able to get it out, and it's your fault."

He grinned her way. "You're welcome."

She chuckled a little as Daisy started to squirm a more and then sighed. "Alright… this one needs to be fed, but that does _not_ mean you're off the hook, mister."

"Not goin' anywhere," he promised. "I even told Coulson I'd rather not go to wherever they're headed."

Skye grinned at that. "That's a relief. I thought I was going to have to start handing down orders to leave just so you'd stay behind."

"Nah," he said, shaking his head. "I know I need to stick around before you find yourself a dirty intern."

She chuckled and shook her head. "Like any intern'd be brave enough, considering the jealous husband."

"Well, if the jealous husband is stupid enough to be gone all the time …"

She kissed him again. "Glad you know what's what."

* * *

 _December 2_

 _In the Capitol_

* * *

Norman Osborn had been trying to find a line on the assassin he'd used the last time the Tahiti kids and victors were getting too close to him for the last few days, but since he hadn't been able to get a hold of Victor Creed, he was in even more of a grumbly mood than usual, sure that he was being ignored.

But if he had hoped for a sympathetic ear with his 'Avengers', he was sorely mistaken, since Venom was openly napping through his grumbling, and Bullseye and Karla were only halfway pretending to listen. Noh had his attention on Laura, who was withdrawn from the rest of the group and had her knees pulled up under her chin, so when Osborn did finally get to the point and tell the team that they had orders to bring Creed in as well if they found him so Osborn could have _words_ with him, Noh made his way over to the frowning girl.

"Is it just me, or is he getting harder to listen to?" he asked her with a little smile.

"Didn't know that was possible," she said sullenly, not looking his way.

"And yet, here we are," he said, tipping his head to the side. "Are you alright? Or at least — as well as can be expected?"

"I don't want to be here anymore," she said quietly.

"Then leave," Noh said. "I'll help you."

"I _can't."_

"And why not?" he asked with a frown.

She let out a sigh, and by way of explanation, she simply lifted her pants leg to reveal the anklet there.

He narrowed his eyes at it and took a calming breath so he wouldn't look _too_ upset in front of her before he glanced back up at her. "I'll talk to Osborn," he promised.

"Don't bother," she said, resting her chin on her knees.

"At least let me talk to him or the others and make sure it's Karla holding the control," he said. "She won't use it."

"It's not," Laura said very softly.

"Well, _that_ isn't going to stand," Noh said, getting to his feet with narrowed eyes as he headed toward Osborn's office. He wasn't sure what he'd bargain. Just a straight-up trade would probably do… Karla for Laura and Bullseye for himself. Either way, Osborn would still have his control, right?

He hit the buzzer by Osborn's locked door, still wearing that same scowl as he thought of it, though when Osborn saw who was at the door, he scowled right back. "I don't have time for this," Osborn sneered.

"Then let me be quick," Noh said. "You have a controller on Laura; I just want to be sure that Karla is the one holding the controls."

"Karla can't watch both of you at once," Osborn said with a glare. "Now get out."

"Bullseye can't be put in charge of a child," Noh argued. "Karla can watch out for her; Bullseye can watch me — but he _cannot_ watch a _child_. You _know_ he'll use and abuse that power."

Osborn looked as if he was getting a migraine as he gritted his teeth. "What do you want done? The girl is not trustworthy. So far, the only ones I can trust on this little team _are_ Karla and Bullseye."

"It's just a simple switch," Noh said. "The two of them will still have the control you want — but put the sadist in charge of someone _over fifteen_."

He let out a weary sigh and waved his hand Noh's way. "Settle it among yourselves. I don't _care._ "

"You should. You are _supposed_ to be running this team," Noh argued. He shook his head. "The others won't negotiate with me…"

But Osborn was already ignoring him — actively moving on to other things. Frustrated, Noh let out a huff of annoyance and turned on his heel. If he had to find the others, he would, but he was already sure of the outcome, and he wasn't sure which option he hated more.

The rest of the team was still in the main area, with Bullseye preening over the latest change in the roster, with a set of triplet blondes signing on and set to arrive by the end of the week. Noh eyed Bullseye with obvious distaste before he sat down next to Karla. "He should not be allowed near girls. At all," he muttered to her.

"Yeah, no kidding," she muttered back to him with a little smirk. "Which is going to be a problem, since we're about to outnumber him."

"So then ... you will stick together?" Noh asked carefully. "Watch out for the newcomers, I mean?"

"Depends on the newcomers," Karla said. "Why do you care?"

Noh let out a breath. "I was just… hoping that there was some solidarity to be found with you and the other women and girls on the team," he said, still speaking very carefully.

"Are you bringing 'girl power' into this?" she asked, visibly amused.

"Ah, yes. I am," he said, looking a little abashed. "And hoping desperately that it's not just a turn of phrase, all things considered, since Osborn has seen fit to give Bullseye control of Laura."

"And this bothers you because he's so … tolerant."

"It bothers me because Laura is fourteen, and Bullseye is a sadist," Noh corrected her.

"What do you want _me_ to do about it?" Karla asked, watching him through narrowed eyes.

"Trade responsibilities with him," Noh said. "You can watch out for Laura instead."

"What do _I_ get out of it — short of babysitting duty?"

"For one thing, you'd be saving a young girl from an idiot and ne'er-do-well."

"We'll need to work something out," she said, shrugging. "Because I'm really not the hero type, and I could care less about all that … hype."

"Consider it a favor to me," he said quietly. "Please."

"What if I wanna cash in on my favor early?" she asked in a purr.

He shook his head. "Not when Laura is still under his control."

"And after?"

He held his breath for a long moment and let it out. "Let's just see if you can follow through on your end of the bargain first, shall we?"

"Fine," she said shortly as she smoothly got to her feet. "I can always switch back if you fail to follow through." He watched her as she strutted across the room to where Bullseye was and then simply plucked the control for Laura out of his hand and tossed him the one for Noh.

"What's the big idea?" Bullseye spit out her way as he caught the control.

"Wanted to trade for a while," she said, strutting off again.

Bullseye just shook his head at that. "Strange woman," he muttered half to himself.

"There," Karla said when she got near Noh again. "Now, I'll let you know when I'm ready for my 'favor'."

Noh nodded quietly. "Thank you," he said. He didn't feel good about any of what had just happened, of course, but on the other hand, he couldn't let a _child_ suffer…

When he got back to Laura, she was just shaking her head at him. "How is this better?" she asked.

"You tell me: would you rather Bullseye hit that control at his every whim?" he asked under his breath.

"I'd rather not deal with either of them," she replied. "But you're betting that she's less crazy than he is."

"She's had that control over me this entire time and never used it."

"And she _likes_ you."

"And never once used the control to that end," he pointed out. "That's more self-restraint than Bullseye has."

" _Because_ she likes you," she repeated slower. "She's just as sadistic as he is."

"Well, then, if she tries anything I'll simply have to make it clear to her that I'll consider it a breach of trust," Noh said airily.

"You..." She shook her head. "Are clearly from the inner circles."

"You met me after I dyed my skin back to normal, too," he said with a little smirk. "I hate to think what you would have said if you'd met me _blue_."

She looked up at him. "Was your hair still white?"

"Oh, of course," he said.

"Then I'd have called you a Smurf."

He chuckled and leaned forward. "Better that than a Ronan copycat had I dyed my hair."

"But then you would have needed those _fashionable_ slash marks," she said with a smirk.

He leaned even closer with a little sparkle in his eyes. "I was there when he got those slash marks," he told her low.

For the first time in a few days, she broke into a little smile. "Really?"

He grinned at her and nodded. "It really is a good story," he said. "Well, besides the part where I was captured and imprisoned in Ronan's dungeons — but the _rescue_ is a good story."

She turned his way fully, rearranging her legs so she was sitting cross-legged on the couch. "Can you tell me?"

He nodded and made himself more comfortable as well. "Where would you like me to begin — the capture, the rescue, or the revolution itself?"

"All of it," she said, obviously starved for this kind of a story. "We never really got to hear what happened. Bits of it — but not all of it."

"Well then, I'll start with the day we declared revolution. I was there for that too," he said with a little smile. "And as glamorous as it sounded, I'm sure, it was actually the most chaotic thing I have ever experienced. One moment, I was with my Jubilee and the other stylists watching the victors dance with the worst of the Capitol leadership — and the next, Logan had killed Nebula, and SHIELD soldiers were everywhere fighting with Nova Corps." When Laura just seemed to lean in closer, he grinned and simply launched into his own retelling of what had happened — complete with as many details as he could remember, like Jessica Drew taking off her shoes to fight and leaving them for a Nova Corps soldier to trip over or Honey Lemon apologizing profusely to Maverick for nearly choking the life out of him after she got a semblance of control back when they were rescued.

He told her about the mad rush from Ronan's dungeons and the way Logan had left his distinctive mark on Ronan — as well as the behind-the-scenes work that SHIELD put in to capitalize on Ronan's new look.

And then he couldn't help but tell her more — such as the story of how Ronan was killed, since Natasha had been deeply undercover at the time and no one outside of a very small circle of people even knew that she had been the one to do it. Or how Peter Quill looked so much happier these days with a new family and a beautiful girlfriend. He made it a point to mention that _everyone_ that had been in that group was doing much better for it, even joking about when Clint and Natasha had been locked in after Logan got tired of their nonsense.

"We came to dinner that day, and they were both pretending not to be grinning madly, as if no one would notice," Noh said, sounding insulted at the memory. "Of _course_ we noticed. The stylists alone spotted it in a heartbeat."

But before he could get too far into that story, they were rather rudely interrupted as Bullseye announced that he didn't need to hear about that crap archer with SHIELD.

"Jealous, Bullseye?" Noh asked with one eyebrow raised. "What is it you're jealous of, I wonder? The fact that he was able to get out from under Osborn's thumb while you languish here, the fact that he has the Black Widow's interest… or the simple fact that he can _track_?"

Bullseye glared at Noh openly before he simply reached for the control Karla had tossed him — and for the first time since he'd started wearing the anklet, Noh got to experience firsthand one of the higher settings before he simply blacked out.

* * *

It was a while later when Noh woke up again, sprawled out on the couch, though he was more than a little surprised to find that not only wasn't he alone but that Karla was sitting with his head in her lap and a crooked little smirk.

"About time you woke up," she said as he quickly sat back up, wincing slightly when he moved a little too fast coming out of unconsciousness. She watched him for a moment and then shook her head. "I was just starting to think you were backing out on me."

He rubbed the back of his head and gave her the driest look he could manage. "Yes, well, it's hard to do anything of the sort unconscious. I _did_ tell you that Bullseye was more sadistic and couldn't exactly be trusted with this sort of power."

"Not exactly a winning argument, handsome," she pointed out. "Where's the angle for _me_ if I have to come find you passed out someplace all the time?" She paused and grinned at him. "I mean, not that I _mind_ , but it's more _fun_ if you're not …" She gestured at him and just laughed at the expression on his face. "Maybe I should switch back."

Noh glared at her. "Do that, and I'll consider your word broken."

"You should really get these things in writing," she told him with a crooked little smirk as she scooted in to fill the space on the couch by him. "Besides, by my count, you still owe me oh-so-many times over," she said, sticking her finger out and tapping him in the chest a few times with each word. "If I wasn't smoothing things out with Bullseye all the time, don't you think Norman would be just a teeny bit more upset about, oh, things like unmasking in the middle of a mission?"

"I never asked for your help," Noh said with a frown as he hit the end of the couch and she followed him there, practically on top of him before the door opened to admit someone new.

"That is so not acceptable in a common area," Laura drawled out as she came into the room. "There are minors present."

"Then leave," Karla said without looking her way and with her fingers hooked on Noh's collar.

"While I'd just _love_ to leave you to assault our poor, defenseless teammate, I was told to find you," Laura said, pulling a face at Noh. "Gah. I thought you had better taste."

He shot her a little halfway relieved smile for that one as Karla dramatically rolled her eyes and rearranged herself so she was facing Laura — though still not quite far from Noh. "You found me, now scram."

"I have to stay here," Laura replied. "Believe me. I'd rather not be here."

"What's going on, then?" Noh asked, more than glad for the reprieve.

"We have to get ready for another 'rescue'."

Karla rolled her eyes with an even more dramatic huff. "Spectacular timing," she grumbled, falling back so that she was sprawled out on the rest of the couch with her feet resting on top of Noh's knees until he got out from under them to sit elsewhere.

It was only a few minutes later that the rest of the team arrived, with the basic instructions that were pretty much business as usual when it came to rescues like this. A residential apartment building would catch fire, and they'd put it out and rescue a few people in the process.

"Family housing," Bullseye said Noh's way with a little smirk once they were in the transport. "Plenty of daring kiddie rescues for you."

"Funny how you seem to rely on me to do any actual work," Noh shot back.

Bullseye glared his way for just a second before Noh felt one of the lighter electrical jolts that the anklet was capable of and bit down on the gasp, though he couldn't help but jump as it hit, and Bullseye broke into a little laugh as he leaned further back in his chair.

"Creep can only get his kicks with _props,_ " Laura muttered. "Loser."

Bullseye glared her way and then shook his head, letting out a huff of pure annoyance before he leaned further back in his seat, playing with a few of his arrows and pretending to ignore her.

Luckily for the sanity of everyone involved, it wasn't a long trip, and they reached the apartment building in almost no time at all, only just after the fire had reached a point where it could be seen from a few blocks over.

The team of 'Avengers' rushed into the appointed spots, with Bullseye hitting sprinkler heads with arrows. Venom tore open a water pipe that flooded some of the worse areas, and Karla was directing people out. Which meant it fell to Noh and Laura to get anyone who was left inside. The intelligence they'd been given before the mission indicated that a young family with a couple kids was in one of the closest apartments to the blaze, so Laura had been sent after them for the PR shot of the young 'hero' carrying out a few little fire victims — and Noh was behind her making sure no one was overlooked in all the posturing and positioning.

He found a couple of teenagers who had been in the stairwell and directed them to the exits, but no one else seemed to be inside, and for that, at least, he breathed a sigh of relief.

The team paused for the few reporters who had come to the scene to get pictures of the daring-do, though when Venom started muttering under his breath, "...could have just let one little accident slip by, oh yes, just one tragedy to sink our teeth into…" it was clear it was time to go before he started something.

Venom had to be sedated — he was getting too overexcited again — once they got to the transport, and Bullseye was grumbling to himself about the whole affair, since Karla and Laura had gotten most of the attention.

"Oh, shut up. Not everything is about you," Karla grumbled his way as she dropped into the seat next to Noh with a predatory glint to her gaze.

"Oh, am I _upsetting your mood_?" Bullseye shot back with a deep glower.

"As a matter of fact, you are," Karla said with just as much heat to her tone as Laura took the last unoccupied seat, which to her frustration put her beside Bullseye as the two senior members of the team were sniping at each other back and forth.

Bullseye was just in the middle of shouting at Karla for not being able to "keep it in your pants" when he leaned over Laura to get in Karla's face — and that was when Karla hit the control for Laura's electrical anklet.

Both Laura and Bullseye let out twin shouts before both of them blacked out, and Karla let out a little laugh as Noh turned her way with a glare.

"There was _no_ reason for that," he snapped.

"Oh, come on. Admit it; it was funny. He didn't see it coming," Karla said, smiling easily and resting one hand on his shoulder that he peeled off by her index finger.

"The entire point," he said with barely restrained rage, "of this new arrangement was to keep that _exact thing_ from happening."

"What's your problem anyhow?" Karla hissed. "Got a thing for the real young ones?"

Noh glared harder at her and thrust his chin out. "I do _not_."

"No one missed the way you were making eyes at the Bishop girl," she said with a sneer. "It makes perfect sense … the job you have …"

"You mean when I was also a _teenager_?" Noh snapped back. "She was nearly the same age as the woman who became my wife."

"Yeah, but this one's the same age that they were when you met, right?"

"I have never," Noh said, "in my _life_ been untoward with _anyone."_

"Sure you haven't," Karla said with a shrug. "I believe you." She gestured around the plane to the cameras before giving him a theatrical wink. "That's what they all say."

"Perhaps you're just trying to find reasons why I don't care for _you_ ," he shot back. "I assure you it isn't your _age_ that's the problem."

She glared his way before she got to her feet and crossed the fuselage to where the two unconscious teammates were in a heap. Noh watched with a frown as she rummaged through Bullseye's pockets ... to produce the controller for Noh's anklet too. She straightened up just long enough that she was sure he knew she had it before she hit the button.

The plane landed back at base with minimal fuss or movement after that. Venom, it seemed, once he started to come out of the sedation, was entertained that so much of the team was on the ground — and had even offered to pay Karla for the controllers so he could play with them too.

On seeing his team once again in a state of disarray, Osborn had finally reached the end of his rope. "Bring them to the labs," he said, ordering a group of guards into the plane to take the unconscious team members out.


	45. The Reunion of the Line

**Chapter 45: The Reunion of the Line**

When Laura, Noh, and Bullseye woke up a short while later, they were each in sealed cells — plastic boxes on all sides, controlled ventilation, each of them separate from the others.

"Since you all insist on being insufferable, you can help me to test my newest invention," Osborn said once all three were awake. "I'm afraid the live animal testing has been a bit ... spotty on one or two of these, but that's just how it goes. It was fine for the rats … the monkeys, well. We'll see."

Each one of the Dark Avengers was positively open in the look of sheer terror on their faces. It wasn't something they could control. It wasn't something that they had any choice in or any options to get out of … and already, the colored gas was floating into their respective boxes.

They each tried to avoid it for as long as they could, going so far as to cover their noses and mouths, even as Osborn warned that they didn't need to inhale it. "Exposure to the skin is more than effective," he warned. "So there is no reason to act like scared little children."

Noh was the first to start coughing, and the green smoke around him completely obscured him to those outside. The last thing that the scientists saw of him was when his hand slapped up against the wall — and then slid down to the floor. But they couldn't pay much attention to him when the black smoke filled box with Bullseye showed nothing outside of the swirling clouds, but the sound of him crumpling was easy enough to hear. Laura was wrapped up in red, and though they couldn't see her either, she wasn't in any apparent pain. She wasn't passing out … but her vitals were off the charts. Pulse, respiration — everything showed the indications of someone suffering an extreme panic attack.

Since all three seemed to be having some kind of reaction, Osborn hit the button that cleared the smoke from their cells to reveal the three test subjects.

Noh was staring, wide-eyed, at nothing, resting on his side at an awkward angle — though he was breathing normally. Bullseye was very clearly stone still — no vitals. Not that any of them were going to weep. But Laura … she was nearly hyperventilating, her hands in fists, her gaze locked onto anyone that moved for even an instant. And on seeing how keyed up she was, Osborn smiled outright.

"We need to test her," Osborn said, and as he said it, half of the occupants in the lab took a step backward.

"See," said a new voice as four newcomers seemed to melt out of the shadows in the lab, "if this is where you test out your hair care, Norman, I see where you get the look from."

Norman turned in time to duck one of Clint's arrows — but not all three. One of them pinned him by the shoulder to the nearest wall, while Natasha was already rushing to the controls of the cells to look them over and find the release, with Betsy and Remy making sure not a one of the scientists or guards was stupid enough to interfere.

"What is that stuff, Nat?" Clint asked as, satisfied that Osborn was well and truly stuck and not going anywhere, he rushed over to where she was to help.

"It's experimental; that's all I can tell you," she said with a frown. "I can bring a sample to Bobbi… Got to wait until it's completely dispersed before we can risk opening the cells…"

Clint matched her frown for a moment before he crossed over to where the cells were, spinning fast on his heel as he called out, "Any chance you can speed it up? 'Cause one of 'em's dead already, and we're just lucky it's the one we _don't_ like."

Clint had just paused outside of Laura's cell, clearly concerned about the fact that she looked like she was ready to either run or pounce, when one of the scientists managed to slip past the group of Tahiti fighters _just_ long enough to hit a release on the side of her cell that had the door hissing open — and Laura launched herself at Clint.

Even though the girl was unarmed, she packed a mean punch, fists and feet and fury all in one little ball of anger as she knocked into Clint and they both went down in a tussle. She managed to break his nose with one hit, and he caught a knee to the stomach that had him gasping before he finally managed to get her on the ground pinned underneath him, though she was struggling all the same, going so far as to try and bite him if nothing else.

"Nat, Betsy, I don'b care. I need … I can'b leb go of her and the tranqs have the red dips," he called out, panting and wincing as it was clear the wind had been knocked out of him — and speaking through a lot of blood streaming from his nose.

But it was Remy that got there to pull out the tranq and jam it into the side of Laura's leg, letting out a low whistle. "Well, whatever in dat stuff, we best get rid o' what's left," he said, shaking his head.

The little girl let out a cry of anger as she thrashed harder for just a few moments. When the tranquilizer started to really do its job, she went from a raging, tiny inferno to quick, shallow breaths and a scared little gasp, shivering and shaking as her eyes rolled to the back of her head.

"That is some killer kinda hairspray," Clint said, shaking his head as he leaned back.

"I can dump it — but we have to leave first," Natasha said, already pushing buttons and programming the whole thing to dump not only its stocks but its information.

"No arguments there," Clint said, shaking his head as he pulled out some of the rope from his grappling arrows, though when he went to tie Laura's ankles too, he let out a string of swear words.

"I didn't think she'd be that hard to restrain at this point," Natasha said with a smirk without looking up at him; she was locked into working on the computer.

"Yeah, no, that's not it," Clint said.

"Don' worry," Remy said with a little smirk as he seemed to produce a lockpick out of nowhere. "Ol' Remy learned a ting or two from lil Miss Stormy."

Remy worked quickly, humming to himself an odd little tune that Clint had never heard before, and within a few minutes, the device came free with Remy's little chuckle. "Ain' nuttin' to it, _homme_."

"Great," Clint said with a little nod. "Now, you think you could do it again?"

"Sho' nuff," Remy replied easily with a crooked smirk. "What choo need now?"

Clint tipped his head toward where Noh was still unmoving. "If I figure out the door switch, you wanna do the same for him? If she's got it, you know he's got something."

"Remy nodded and made his way over to Noh. "Don' go kickin' ol' Remy now. You jes' gonna lose dat ugly lil' ting."

"Maybe we can hurry this along," Betsy suggested as a few of Osborn's guards started to come in, headed for the pinned president first as she and Natasha both ducked a couple shots.

Clint and Remy shared a look for a moment before Remy let out a little chuckle as the anklet came off, and he put Noh over his shoulder and nodded to Betsy. "Yes, ma'am, Betts. We gon' get outta here, den."

To emphasize the point, Natasha was sure to set the last of her program in motion, and she turned to Betsy with a nod as both of them rushed off, protecting the boys' backs all the way back to the plane.

* * *

At the plane, Jubilee was driving May batty. The stoic agent had done all she could to ignore the pacing and nail biting that Jubilee was doing — and at one point even had to take the comm link away from her so she couldn't do the massive overreactions to everything that the team was reporting. Or the enthusiastic punch in the air when she heard that they had found the labs.

"You need to _stop,"_ May said, glaring at her. "It's not dignified. And he's alive. So just … sit down. Breathe. And _wait._ "

Jubilee let out a huff as she spun to face May. "Um. No. Not all of us can wait forty years to decide that we _know_ who we're supposed to be with. So … I already picked mine? And he's been missing. So. No."

May just raised an eyebrow at Jubilee and then shook her head. "You're going to wear yourself out before they even get back with him."

"Shows what you know," Jubilee replied, crossing her arms. "I'm powered by sugar and sunlight."

"And the inability to sit still."

Jubilee mimicked her badly, biting her tongue. "Whatever."

May leaned forward and scrubbed her hand over her face. It was still a long wait before the four rescuers radioed ahead to let them know they were coming — and that they had two extra passengers.

By the time they did finally arrive, Jubilee was bouncing on her toes, her hands in fists under her chin — just waiting to tackle them. But she paused when she saw the girl that they were carrying back — particularly when the mystery kid started arguing with them.

"No, I need to get to my mom," she insisted, struggling against Clint as he carried her. "She's in the outer levels. You can't just _take me._ That is _actual kidnapping,_ you purple creep!"

"Look," Clint argued, "we can take you there, but we gotta get away from the crazy _presidential problem_ first and foremost."

" _Please_ ," she said, almost desperate in her tone. "I haven't seen her in months!"

"Gimmie an address and we'll get you to her — or get her to you. You know Osborn'll be looking there, right?"

"Yeah, I know," she grumbled. "Can you freakin' untie me at least? Please? I promise not to kick your ass again."

"Yeah, yeah. You're real tough, kid," Clint said dismissively. "I'll untie you when we're in the air, deal?"

"Fine," she grumbled low, glaring at him when he set her into a chair.

Remy, meanwhile, was carrying Noh over his shoulder as Noh was starting to come out of the paralysis — stiffly and slowly — and he grinned at Jubilee as he came in. "You missin' sometin, _petit_?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact," she said. "It seems that some senior _SHIELD agent_ misplaced him for me."

"Well, he back now," Remy said, still grinning as he set Noh down in a seat next to Jubilee — and even though Noh was still feeling the effects of the gas, he was grinning widely when he saw her.

She grinned at him for exactly half a second before she lunged, wrapping her arms around his neck and half strangling him with a hug. "I missed you, pale face."

He chuckled and very carefully wrapped her up as well. "Oh, I missed you too, my Jubilee."

She was just leaning in to kiss him when Laura interrupted the moment. "Are we going to get in the air — or are you all just going to do the Peeping Tom routine on these two?"

"Remind me again why we brought her along," Clint chuckled as May shook her head at the whole situation and got them in the air.

Once they were off the ground Laura started giving Clint a look and held her hands up in front of her face. "Airborne. Come on, get with it…."

He grinned at her sideways and pulled out his knife to cut her loose. "What'd you _do_ to get on Norm's radar, kid? Sass the wrong hairdo?"

"I don't know?" she replied with a shrug as she untied her feet and bounced past him to tell May where she needed to go. "Breathed, I think."

"Sounds about right," Clint said, shaking his head as he settled into the seat next to Natasha. "You a Wolverine fan or…?"

"Not my choice!" Laura called back over her shoulder. "Some creep said I had to."

"Well, now, see, we're gonna have to shoot Norm for that. Putting kids in outfits. Weirdo."

"Still better than that awful purple get-up," she said, which actually got a laugh out of May.

"Hey," Clint said. "Not everyone can pull it off. That creep was the worst at it."

"That's true, but … you're more of a 'cool,' I think," Laura said as May redirected their flight path. "Think jewel tones and black."

"Yeah, you've been spending _way_ too much time with Noh," Clint chuckled.

"Better than leaving her to the rest of that team," Noh said quietly, glancing up from where he had been pressing little kisses to Jubilee's head.

When the plane went back down — very close to the outer walls that were left over from Thanos' reign, May called for Natasha and Clint. "You need to get her mother and aunt," she directed. "Coulson found them a safe haven that isn't 'home'."

Natasha nodded as she slid out of the jet. "Shouldn't be a problem," she said. "Seeing as they haven't seen their… whoever this is."

"My name is Laura Kinney," Laura said, crossing her arms with a little glare.

"Well, Laura Kinney," Natasha said with a smirk. "There's a bathroom in the jet and a spare set of clothes if you don't want to meet your mom and aunt in the uniform Osborn made you wear. They might be a little big, though."

"I don't care — just get them so we can _go._ "

Clint grinned at Natasha and the two of them rushed out together, with Clint chuckling about how everybody was bringing home strays these days.

"Are you sure you don't want to just come home with us?" Noh asked Laura while Clint and Natasha were out.

"No way," Laura replied. "I've had enough of these … _teams_. I just want to take my mom and aunt and go … somewhere else."

"That's fair," Noh said, though he sounded disappointed all the same. "But I'll need your address. I intend to stay in touch."

"Coulson will provide it," May told him.

"Good," Noh said, leaning back into Jubilee before he quickly kissed her temple. "Laura has been the salvation of my sanity, Jubilee," he whispered in her ear.

"That doesn't mean she has to keep following you," Jubilee said.

"No, but it does make her a good friend," he said.

"And I'm sure she'll want to see you again soon," Jubilee replied before she kissed the end of his nose.

Noh grinned at her for a long time before he leaned in and stole a kiss. "I didn't know you had been told I was dead," he whispered. "I assumed you were looking for me."

"Imagine my surprise when I was told I was no longer a widow," she whispered back.

"I'd very much like not to imagine it. I don't think I could have survived in your shoes," he replied as he kissed her.

"Poor Skye had to share," she teased. "And you missed the baby's arrival entirely."

He sat up straighter at that. "When?"

"Logan's birthday — just a few hours before he went and killed Victor Creed," she told him with a proud sort of smile.

"He did _what_?" Noh stared at her, completely floored.

"It was a very busy day," she said, nodding sedately. "Fitz has it on video."

"I … am almost afraid to ask," Noh said, shaking his head.

"So don't," she said, snuggling into his side.

He laughed and kissed her over again. "You will need to tell me all about it — but later, I think," he said, pulling her into a longer kiss.

Natasha and Clint didn't take long, and when they returned, it was immediately clear which of the two women was Laura's mother — the resemblance was that strong — and the three of them were wrapped up in a hug before Clint could close the door behind them.

"Where are we going?" Laura's mother asked. "I'm not arguing it; I just would like to know."

"District Four," May told her. "We didn't think it would be safe in Marvel's boundaries for you."

"Well, seeing as we didn't vote for him," the other woman said, "it's really not."

"Well, that's encouraging to hear," Clint said with a crooked smile and a laugh. "Don't know that we could have stood being in the same plane as someone who _liked_ the guy."

"And Odin's more than willing to extend his protection to you," May added over Clint's jokes. "He has a particular hatred in his heart for people who use children."

"Well. I guess we'll learn to love the beach then," Laura's mother said as she settled into her seat with a smiling daughter.

* * *

When they got to District Seven, it was clear that Noh wanted nothing more than to just disappear with Jubilee — but he still hadn't met Daisy, and besides, Kate was there as soon as he got through the door to hug him.

"You — just — that is the most rotten thing to do to a person, you loser," Kate said all the way through the hug, though he had to laugh as he hugged her back.

He shook his head. "Turnabout is fair play, Kate Bishop," he told her seriously.

Kate flushed and spluttered for a second. "That is _not_ the same," she said.

"If you say so," he replied before he let her go and looked her over. "You have outgrown the dresses I made you; I'm sure of it," he teased.

"Yeah, no, see, you can't just — you can't just get out of it by bringing up my baby boy, because that is _cheating_."

"It really isn't. You look amazing," Noh said with a little grin.

"Speaking of which," Skye said as she slid into the room with a _huge_ smile and a teeny tiny little girl wrapped up in a fluffy pink blanket. "You so totally missed her debut."

"I did," he agreed, wide-eyed and completely in awe of the little one. "She… she looks like you, Skye."

"Debatable," she countered. "Wait until you see the smirk."

Noh shook his head. "Well, she is only… how old? A few days?"

"Two days; that's all."

"She'll be smirking on her own in due time," he said. "I'm sure I'll see it often."

"With those genes? You'll probably see it more often than anything else," Skye laughed as she started to tip the little one into his arms. "Now. Say hello to Daisy May a little more properly."

He stared star-struck at the sweet little girl. "Oh…"

"Look at her hands," Jubilee suggested, going so far as to move the blanket so he could watch as the tiny girl stretched her hands out and slowly curled her long fingers back into fists.

He seemed to go even quieter, and when he finally looked up at Jubilee, he was grinning ear-to-ear. "She is just perfect," he said softly.

"Jubes, watch out," Kate whispered in Jubilee's ear with a wicked grin.

"Like I'd run from it," Jubilee said with a toss of her hair.

"Well, the _look_ alone…." Kate giggled.

"He is often awed by pure beauty," Jubilee said with a haughty tone.

"Then just wait til he sees our little boy," Kate said. "He'll take after Kurt."

"He will. But … he's staring at this one's long fingers," Jubilee said. "Delicate." She let out a little laugh. "He hasn't even touched her hair yet."

Noh looked up at Jubilee with a little laugh. "Oh, don't rush me," he teased, gently bouncing Daisy as he had one of her hands in between his fingers and _grinned_ before he gently brushed her hair down. "It is simply criminal that I missed her debut," he told Skye after a long moment.

"It really is," Jubilee agreed, her hands in her back jeans pockets as she watched them.

"You're never going to get that baby back," Kate teased Skye.

Skye shrugged. "Oh, I won't worry too much about that. If he doesn't want to hand her over, I'll just send her father after you."

"Yeah, he'll take one look and direct them to the nearest empty room," Kate chuckled.

Noh did finally look up at Skye, though, and gave the smirk right back to her before he handed Daisy back. "If you don't mind," he said, "I haven't seen my wife in some time."

"Please," Skye said, shooing him one-handed. "We were headed up for more snuggles. I just had to say hello."

"And you were oh-so-right to do so," Noh chuckled before he gave her a sideways hug. "I have missed all of you, honestly."

"Not so much he didn't already adopt a little girl," Clint piped up behind them, grinning.

"The wannabe Wolverine to boot," Natasha added with a smirk.

"She didn't want to be Wolverine," Noh defended.

"She was still wearing the stripes anyhow," Natasha said. "Not that she could pull it off."

"I offered to design something else, but Osborn seemed to be determined to have a Wolverine," Noh said.

"Too bad there's only one," Jubilee said with a grin.

"Yes, and he has the most beautiful family," Noh said before he bent down and picked her up bridal style. "But listen to me: I have not seen you in weeks, and while all these people are lovely? I'd rather spend the time with you."

"You are the one still talking," she pointed out.

He was already walking along the hallway. "Only because I haven't reached our room yet," he teased.

"I'm getting old here," she giggled.

"It's called savoring the moment," he had to tease.


	46. Have Yourself a Merry Bunch of Weddings

**Chapter 46: Have Yourself a Merry Bunch of Weddings**

* * *

 _December 10_

 _Howlett Manor_

* * *

A huge winter storm was rolling into District Seven — big enough that not only had all the missions been postponed until the weather passed but the entire Hudson clan had come to the manor. They were worried about the possibility of losing heat and power — and if that happened, it would be safer and more fun for the kids to be up at the manor anyway.

The kids were tickled to be there, and the staff welcomed them with open arms and wide smiles, delighted to have so many happy faces around — and for the holidays to boot. Mr. Kenneth had been decorating outside and earlier that morning had just brought in a few freshly-made wreaths to hang around the place — and he was quick to recruit the Hudson kids to help him.

The twins could be heard giggling and tumbling behind Mr. Kenneth the whole way around the manor, though Oliver had recently had a growth spurt and was picking the girls up so they could reach anything up high. Josh wouldn't let Oliver pick him up, though, shaking his head every time with a little "no, Ollie'' that had Mr. Kenneth quietly smirking.

Scott, on the other hand, was allowed to pick up Josh once he got there, which started a little argument between the boys in the hallway.

"I'm almost as tall!" Oliver argued, but Josh still shook his head and grinned from atop Scott's shoulders.

"It's because he doesn't see me every day," Scott reasoned as he handed Josh the wreath to hold.

Oliver rolled his eyes and let out a huff, which Josh returned with a little smirk. "No, Ollie," he teased in a sing-song voice.

"That's it," Oliver said — and the next minute, Josh was shrieking with laughter as Scott took off running down the hall with Oliver in their wake chasing after them.

The whole group of them came to a nearly crashing stop when they hit the living room where Clara and Ella were with Cupcake and Clint, and both the lab and the wolf rushed over to the boys to join in the romping with tongues lolling out and tails wagging.

"They're practicing," Clint teased as the dogs both made over Oliver and Josh, licking and panting and pawing at them for attention.

Clara rolled her eyes his way. "I still blame you."

"Hey. Mangy mutt ... wild animal ... I think _they_ are the ones who decided to up and… you know….. Have more mangy mutts."

Clara just smirked his way for that one as Scott fell into the seat beside her, grinning. "Last time there was a storm this bad, we were snowed up through Valentines," Scott said with a grin as he draped his arm around Clara's shoulders. "The kids are going to go crazy cooped up in here."

"Through Valentines?" Clint repeated, a little wide-eyed, since, well, he'd grown up in a desert.

"Well, it started a little later," Scott allowed.

"Yeah, I mean, _I'm_ not gonna complain, but not everyone's as lucky as I am," Clint said, leaning back in the couch with his head tipped back. "I already went and got my girl. Won't this screw with plans for spiders and cyclops..es?"

"I've already got everyone here; we'll just use the ballroom if it comes to it," Scott said with a shrug. "And I don't think it'll last _that_ long, honestly. Just into the holidays, most likely."

Clint shrugged at that before he got up off the couch and waved to the group at large. "Have fun. Lemme know if Cupcake gets bored of making over your siblings. Like that's even going to be a problem."

* * *

 _December 23_

 _Howlett Manor_

* * *

Thankfully, the blizzard had let up enough that Agent May was able to get down to Eight to pick up Gwen's father and fly him to Three first to throw off anyone that might have been following them. So when they did finally get to District Seven, it had been an incredibly long flight, though not a second of it showed on George Stacy's face when his daughter came running his way, full tilt, to all but tackle him into a hug.

"So this is where you've been hiding out this whole time?" he asked with a smile.

"It's not _usually_ this snowy," she promised, giving him one more hug for good measure before she threaded her arm through his and took him on a tour of the place, making sure to introduce him to anyone he hadn't yet met, especially the staff.

Once he'd been introduced to everyone — including Elsie, who _had_ to ask if he was a _real_ Sentinel or if he was a fake one like her dad before Mac had to just shake his head at her — he wound up sitting in the living room where most of the adults had gathered to talk about the upcoming plans, particularly with Aunt May.

Aunt May had kidnapped little Daisy to totally spoil her rotten — under the guise of giving Logan the chance to get some rest after the Hudson clan had been insisting he play with them, though nobody was fooled by that excuse at all. And nobody missed the fact that Aunt May came up with any and every excuse to hold and cuddle Daisy, so there was a lot of significant poking and snickering happening Peter and Gwen's way.

Though not even Clint's obnoxious teasing could get them down as they spent the night just catching up with George Stacy and enjoying hot chocolate by the fire — and getting progressively more nervous and excited for the next day.

* * *

 _December 24_

 _Howlett Manor_

* * *

The next morning, Gwen woke up and couldn't stop her smile when she looked out the window to see that it had started to snow again. It was the perfect Christmas Eve backdrop — especially because it meant that the snow would be fresh instead of the old stuff that was still slick on the ground.

She wasn't alone very long, though, so she didn't get to enjoy the picturesque scene as much as she would have liked. It seemed like Honey practically had an alarm to alert her to the fact that Gwen was awake — and that, of course, meant that it was time to prep Gwen for the wedding.

Honey was already starting to get emotional — especially because she had been the stylist for both Gwen and Peter — so of course, Gwen made sure to give her friend a hug.

"Isn't it supposed to be the other way around?" Gwen teased. "I'm the bride; I feel like I should be getting hugs."

"You _are_ getting hugs," Honey pointed out.

"Sure; we'll go with that," Gwen laughed.

Honey smiled at Gwen even more brightly — and then, all of a sudden, she pulled out her camera. " _Foto!_ " she declared — and Gwen wasn't prepared for the flash, though she could hear Honey laughing and knew she'd have to get her friend back for that.

* * *

Meanwhile, the entirely of Team Awesome, not to mention everyone with a spider moniker, was gathering together out in the rose garden. Even though it was cold enough to snow, the weather was perfect for a winter wonderland wedding.

"I was really hoping it would snow for them," Ororo said as she came to sit down beside Remy.

Remy quirked an eyebrow and then smirked at her. "You tellin' the weather now, Stormy?" he teased. "Suits yer name a lil' bit better, don't it?"

Ororo rolled her eyes and reached over to punch Remy in the shoulder. "You're the only one that calls me that."

"Well, now, dat ain't quite true," Remy said, smirking at her. "Ol' Remy's jus' de only one what took dat Games nickname o' yours and turned it into sometin' dat sound a lil bit less like it come from dat no-good Tivan."

Ororo smiled at that. "Oh, of course. I should have seen it — a mission of mercy wrapped up in a cute little nickname."

Remy smirked. "When y'all gon' see dat ol' Remy ain't so bad as he painted up to be?"

Storm shook her head at that. "I've been saying that about you for a long time, Remy. I think the better question is: when did _you_ finally decide you could be better than ol' Remy's been painted up to be?"

Remy looked over his shoulder, but everyone was too busy watching Peter bounce from one foot to the other, completely unable to contain his excitement, to notice what the two of them were talking about. So, with a crooked smile, he leaned over to Ororo. "You gotta promise you ain't gon' tell no one. Jes like you kept Remy's secrets before."

Ororo raised an eyebrow. "The same secrets that I told you it would be better for you to admit… and then you ignored me until Betsy had to practically drag them out of you?"

"Hey now," Remy said with a frown. "That just ain't what happened."

"Because we're at a wedding, I won't _completely_ burst your bubble; I'll let you think whatever you like."

Remy chuckled drily. "Remind me 'gain why I went and decided t'be friend witchu, lil Miss Stormy."

She smiled sweetly at him. "Because you want someone around who can make fun of your accent and keep all your secrets."

Remy laughed outright. "You sure got ol' Remy all figgured out, don'tcha, Stormy?"

"Maybe," Ororo said with a smile. "But you still didn't answer my question."

"True 'nuff," Remy said, though he paused for a little while longer as he honestly thought it over. "You remember when me an' Betts' brother go on dat mission and ol' Remy came back lookin' like he been dragged halfway to hell an' back?"

Ororo nodded. "Yes, and you had both of the Braddocks yelling at you."

"Well, Agent Mack… he pulled me aside, had a heart-to-heart, you migh' say," Remy said, his tone whisper-quiet. "An' we talked 'bout what Betts _deserves_."

Ororo couldn't hide her smile. "I'm glad."

* * *

When Gwen was finally ready, Noh cued up the music, positively tickled that he'd gotten back in time for this part of things. Especially when Peter saw Gwen for the first time.

He was completely speechless. Completely.

Gwen was smiling, blushing high on her cheeks as she walked out to Peter, the delicate snowflakes making patterns on her veil. And by the time she got there and her father bent to kiss her cheek before he sat down, both Gwen and Peter were obviously blown away.

And that in itself was endlessly entertaining for the rest of their friends, especially Kurt, who had more or less become the official officiant for any wedding that didn't involve a SHIELD director of some sort. He couldn't stop smiling when he saw them both so _happy_ — not that he was trying hard to stop it.

"This time of year is always special," Kurt said, breaking the silence between the two spiders and smiling even wider when he had to wonder if they could even hear him. "It's a time to celebrate love, to celebrate gifts. And the two of your have been that for each other. I think you've waited long enough — especially since you've had two deaths to get through just to make it this far." He smiled lightly. "We're all honored to witness your union, Peter and Gwen."

Peter smiled and seemed to come at least a little out of the spell — just long enough to grin at Gwen and mouth out, "Here we go!"

"About time, right?" Gwen mouthed back.

Peter's grin turned a bit more sheepish, but then he caught her smiling at him, and he could feel his ears burning until Logan beside him nudged him to remind him to pay attention, since he did actually have to get involved with the wedding.

"Well, Gwen, I think I have to believe in fate, because that's just about the only thing we had going for us to keep us together for a while there," Peter said with a smile. "You and me, we've seen each other through everything. Including two Games. Two _separate_ ones. I'm definitely lodging a complaint about that. But that's not the point." He let out a nervous laugh. "The point is: we always come out together, so… let's keep doing that. But _together_. For the rest of our second lives."

Gwen was still barely restraining her obvious glee as she leaned forward. "Oh, I _definitely_ believe in fate," she said. "I mean, how else do you explain me getting you back?" She smiled a little wider. "Here's the thing, Peter — people always talk about what a motivation loss can be, but I think that's just wrong. You don't have to lose somebody to know you love them, and you don't have to have loss to be a good person. I think it's much easier to love and be heroic when you've got someone to rely on that has your back. So, I'll be yours, and you be mine, deal?"

Peter couldn't stop himself from laughing. "Oh yeah. Deal."

After that, Gwen just looked over at Kurt as if to say it was his turn, and he grinned to himself before declaring them husband and wife.

* * *

 _January 5_

 _Howlett Manor_

* * *

By the time the big day rolled around for Scott and Clara, the mansion was thrumming with activity, not just from the weddings in rapid succession but from the sheer number of people there. Margali and the Wagner clan had come up for the holidays and were still there, as well as Kate's sister and niece, and, of course, all the Hudsons were there.

When Kate's sister showed up, their entrance was made all the more grandiose as Kurt and Logan both helped them to get their bags and things into the house — and little Katie was sure to sucker a piggyback ride out of Logan.

Josh was loving the chance to hang out with Katie again, too. She didn't really remember him, but once she warmed up to him a little, they were off, giggling and running and carousing in the halls with David and Katie Power sometimes joining in the nonsense, depending on if Katie Bishop said so. She was particular about her 'Dosh' and didn't want to share.

By then, the snow was starting to clear as well, so the large group was able to make use of the grounds and gardens — to the relief of anyone with small kids, since they were starting to get a touch of cabin fever, really. So while the kids were having snowball fights or building snowmen or making snow angels, Coulson had Daisy — and was therefore the center of attention for anyone who wasn't part of the wedding setup.

The little one was just starting to learn how to coo, and though she hadn't gotten it down to trying to use it as 'conversation,' she was absolutely focused on whoever was holding her, with a tiny little eyebrow arching upward when she knew they were talking to her. The kids nearby were having a blast watching, too, as not only was Daisy entertaining to watch but Coulson was so completely enamored and fully involved in talking to Daisy that he seemed completely incapable of paying attention to anything else.

"I honestly don't know which one is cuter," Cassie teased over Wade's shoulder with a little giggle.

"I find that a little insulting," Skye said. "It's totally a tie. Just different 'cute's."

"True," Cassie nodded seriously. "I just didn't know Director Dad could _make_ that voice," she added, this time unable to keep the serious expression together as the giggle slipped out.

"Have you seen him when she gives him the smirk? Completely incapacitated."

"Who knew that was all it took to dismantle SHIELD from within?" Wade asked with a grin. "That's your secret weapon to the directorship, right there."

"Why do you think Fury ran away?" Skye said with a little grin. "He knew he couldn't take it."

"The brave, brave director, he bravely ran away," Wade agreed, singing under his breath as he nodded along.

"You can _share,_ AC," Skye said a little bit louder. "Seeing as you get to do that all the time." When he looked up at her, she gestured to Margali and Susan, who were both watching him and obviously waiting for their turn.

Coulson fell into something more like his usual smirk as he shook his head and finally let Margali have a turn — with the excuse that it was "practice."

While the bulk of the group was outside and getting ready, though, Kamala was inside with Clara doing her level best to keep the excited giggling to a minimum as she helped her get ready, though she was practically bouncing in place and half singing "I knew it" to herself as she pulled Clara's hair into a braid.

"I would _hope_ you knew it — since we've been engaged for a while now," Clara laughed.

"Yeah but just… let me have this moment. I've known it for _years_ ," Kamala said, still bouncing happily. "I'm gonna call you 'Mrs. Fearless' from now on; I hope you know this."

Clara rolled her eyes but refrained from shaking her head at the ridiculousness of it. "So … when are you getting engaged yourself, then, Marvelous Spider?"

Kamala laughed. "Um, maybe after I'm at least sixteen," she teased.

"So you're going for a long game," Clara said with a little laugh. "Date for ten years before you consider him…."

Kamala shook her head at Clara and playfully hit her in the shoulder. "Hey. We met when I was _thirteen_ ," she pointed out. "And this is _so_ not about me anyway. It's about you and Old Fearless and how amazing you're gonna look."

Clara tipped her head down. "Yeah. the _look._ "

Kamala rolled her eyes at that. "Oh come on. You look amazing. And besides, Scott always says you match, so it doesn't _matter_."

"If you say so."

* * *

In a room further down the manor, Scott was getting prepped too, though for him, there was an overeager former stylist of his dancing around the room and making sure his suit coat sat on him just right and that his hair was lying just the way she thought it should.

"Per-fect," Jubilee declared at last, popping her gum as she smacked Scott in the chest with the back of her hand.

He shook his head at her as Mac chuckled, leaned back in the chair with the bowtie that Heather had tied for him before he came to check on Scott. "He was ready ten minutes ago; you're just picking at this point," he accused her.

"Nope," Jubilee said with a grin. " _Now_ he's ready."

"Does he get any say in it?" Scott asked, referring to himself in the third person, though he wasn't surprised in the least when the answer, from both Mac and Jubilee, was 'nope.'

Mac grinned as he draped an arm over Scott's shoulders. "You'll be fine," he said in a low tone, dipping his head down to catch Scott's attention.

Scott nodded, though as they headed out to the gardens where everyone else was, he made sure to pause and pull Mac by the shoulders into a hug with a quiet, 'thanks, Dad' that only Mac could hear.

Once he got out to the gardens, which the staff had decorated in whites and reds to perfection, Alex met up with him too, nearly knocking him backward in a hug and a wide grin as he took his place standing next to his brother, one hand on Scott's shoulder as they chatted quietly waiting for the girls to get done.

Scott had been more than a little surprised when Alex had shown up — with the Wagners from Nine — along with a girl with green in her hair that he introduced as Lorna. But hey, he had to admit that Alex was getting older now, so he had every right to have a girlfriend. He just… hadn't expected it.

And of course, Alex had to laugh when Scott's "other siblings," as he called them came down, with Elsie as flower girl and Josh as the ringbearer. Both of them were grinning widely, though Josh shyly tucked his head down when he realized everyone was watching him and hid by Heather when he was done.

But Alex got quiet and simply grinned and elbowed Scott in the ribs when Clara came down from the house and Mac went to meet her to walk her the rest of the way, since her last remaining brother had refused to come. Her mother had come, though, and to everyone's surprise (including Scott's), Victoria Creed was actually sweet, and she was getting along wonderfully with Margali Wagner as the two sat next to each other and chatted quietly.

Scott grinned at Clara all the way down until she was standing in front of him and couldn't help but tell her, "You look great."

The only one who saw the look Clara gave him, outside of Scott, was Kurt, who was grinning widely as he welcomed the group at large to the wedding. By that time, it had started to snow slightly — just a light dusting over everything that had the younger kids totally distracted trying to catch snowflakes on their tongues, with both Elsie and Josh barely covering up their giggles with hands pressed over their mouths.

Scott had thought about trying to write vows, but he was glad he and Clara had decided not to when he found that he was stumbling over even the basic vows, and Clara was just smiling at him with a knowing sort of look that had him shaking his head when he was finally done, though he couldn't help but give her a look right back when she started in.

Kurt had barely gotten through "I now pronounce" before Scott's hand was on the back of Clara's neck, and it was only a matter of pausing to _hear_ the official announcement that had them both waiting to seal the whole thing with a kiss — to much applause.

From there, everyone headed inside, out of the snow and into the warmth, where there was not only hot chocolate but music that Noh already had queued up.

The widely grinning couple hit the floor for a dance while most of the group was getting their cocoa and warming up, with little Daisy tucked into Logan's coat and curled up with her dad and the smallest kids running around with peppermint sticks to stir their hot chocolate.

After the first dance, Heather and Mac joined them — though not together, instead with Heather stealing Scott and Mac insisting that, since Clara was part of the family now, he got to dance with her too.

Heather was a total mess of emotions and didn't make it far through the song before the dance turned into a hug in the middle of the floor with her head on Scott's shoulder as Scott tried very hard not to look like he was about to join her — though Mac was pretending a lot better with Clara.

"Your whole family is ridiculous," Clara told Mac.

"I can only take credit for _maybe_ half of that," he pointed out with a little grin.

"I don't know … which half are you claiming responsibility for?" she asked.

"Oh, Heather's got the better half for sure," he teased as the dance came to an end and he had to give her a quick squeeze. "Better get used to it. You're stuck with us now," he told her low.

"I knew what I was getting into," she shot right back with a smirk. "I just like your kind of crazy."

"You better," he told her as he handed her off to Scott and very gently steered Heather toward some hot chocolate and Susan Bishop, who genuinely loved Heather every time they got together.

Mac wound up by Logan, shaking his head as the two women got to talking a mile a minute, both of them emotional wrecks; Susan was a sympathetic crier.

"You gonna need a tissue, tough guy?" Logan asked in a low rumble as Daisy slept on his chest.

"Ha ha," Mac said dryly. "You're hilarious."

"I'm just sayin': you're about two heartbeats from joining Susan."

"Don't be overdramatic," Mac said, rolling his eyes.

"I'm not; you should see yourself," Logan chuckled. "If we were drinking, I'd have to cut you off before you started drunk dialing people."

"You must be confused. You're looking at the wrong Hudson."

"No," Logan said, shaking his head slowly. "I got the right one. I'll bet you can talk Aunt May into giving you a hug if you need a moment."

That got a dry look from Mac. "You're just hoping she'll focus on someone else so you can keep that one," he said, tipping his head at Daisy.

"You missed it yesterday," Logan said. "Baby was sleeping, so she just leaned on me. I'm officially furniture around here."

Mac grinned at him. "You get used to it."

"Not like I haven't been doing it that way all along," Logan pointed out. "Got used as a space heater last month for a couple of frozen yea whos."

Mac chuckled and shook his head. "Oh, you mean the officiant and the maid of honor."

"Yep, that's them," Logan agreed. "Random people heater, apparently."

Mac clapped a hand on Logan's shoulder. "Wait til she gets bigger and you graduate to jungle gym," he teased.

"Like I wasn't doing that before too?" Logan said with a little smirk. "At least they can't climb on me for long."

"Yeah, with the genes you two have, don't bet on it."

Logan chuckled at his cousin, as Daisy stretched out and resettled — which was Susan's cue to come over to the two men, wiping tears from her face and looking like she thought she was _fine_. "Are you two going to hide over here with Daisy this whole time, because that is _so_ selfish."

"She's sleeping," Logan pointed out. "So yes. Unless I just take her and go …"

"Um, no. Don't do that. That's worse," Susan said, rolling her eyes and looking very much like her sister, though before she could get too much further into it, Katie ran over to tug on her mom's dress and inform her that she needed a new peppermint stick because hers was 'bwoke'.

After Susan promised to get her a new stick, Katie nodded and scrubbed at her eyes and then looked up at the two men. "Bwoke my _sword_."

"I can help with that," Mac promised. "Want me to get you a new one?"

Katie giggled and nodded. "Bigger, pweeeeease."

Mac stood up and put his hands out for her to come over — and as soon as she rushed to him, he swept her up to toss her in the air as he left with the little one in search of more peppermint, leaving Logan with the overly emotional Bishop sister.

"Kate was telling me this is just number… what, three? Out of four? If you include the elopement out on the lake her weird archer friend pulled," Susan said with a friendly smile.

"Yeah, just waitin' on Fitzsimmons," Logan replied in a low, quiet rumble.

"She told me about that too," Susan nodded. "I've met them. They really are just… _how_ are they not already married?"

"They've spent years in denial and were perfectly happy with it," Logan answered. "In spite of everyone trying to help them pull their heads out. Scotty finally got the job done."

"Well, good for him," Susan said, nodding toward the groom out on the dance floor, now with both of the Hudson twins in a quicker dance. "It's kind of nice seeing everyone _happy_. Last time there was a get-together this big, it was so fresh after the war, I could hear the shock just by standing in the same room."

"Not sure you noticed, but it's not exactly peacetime yet," Logan pointed out.

"True," she admitted. "You don't have to tell me; I heard what's been going on back in Twelve."

"Where are you now?" Logan asked.

"The Capitol," she admitted. "We moved there _before_ the election," she added quickly.

"Surprised you didn't try to catch Kate," Logan said. "Especially after her public announcement."

"I _did_ ," Susan said, her lower lip out in a pout. "I couldn't get past those half-wits Osborn calls security."

"They were a pain," Logan agreed.

"I was so _mad_ she didn't tell me before she told Marvel, but… well, I'm not now that I know the whole story. Now I'm mad at the 'president'." She grinned and leaned forward. "But I have to admit. It was fun — the celebrity phase of the election, anyway. Before I knew the whole story," she corrected herself quickly.

"Even I had a little fun with some of those questions," he said with a troublemaking smirk.

"You were _brilliant_ ," she promised. "Really. Who taught you how to do that? You should work in professional public… something!"

"Oh, no," he said, shaking his head. "I just .. no. No one taught me, and I'm _done._ Unless there's a damn good reason otherwise."

"Yes, well, you were very good at it," Susan said with a little smile before she grinned down at Daisy. "But I guess you have other priorities right now anyway." When the little one started to squirm a bit, Susan gave Logan's arm a quick squeeze. "Speaking of — I'll let you take her to Mom, I'm sure. I've been meaning to check on my sister anyway."

"Steal a dance while you can," Logan advised before he got up and offered Susan a hand to pull her to her feet. "Before the little one gets back with fresh weaponry."

"I don't know where she gets it from," Susan said, shaking her head. "Jack's not that… energetic."

"It's the name," Logan said. "You knew what you were getting into."

Susan laughed at that and had to nod. "Clearly," she said before she gave both Logan and Daisy a little wave and headed off.

It wasn't long at all before Susan met up with Bobbi and Jess — which she was ridiculously excited about, since she had idolized them both as a teenager because of their status as victors. Before long, she was babbling about all the high-end parties that she had been invited to since people figured out that she really was Kate Bishop's older sister.

"Just be careful," Jess advised when Susan paused to take a breath. "You can't always trust those parties, and you know the new president would love to get his hands on Kate Bishop's big sister."

"Give me _some_ credit," Susan said with a little shrug. "I'd never accept any invitations to the presidential estate or anything like that."

"Yeah, but there are some costumed vigilantes running around," Bobbi pointed out.

Susan shook her head. "I'll be careful, I promise."

"Good. We like having you and little Katie around."

Susan beamed at that, flushing with pleasure at the compliment from her favorite victor.

The party was starting to wind down, and they were getting ready to send Scott and Clara off when Agent May approached Coulson and tapped him on the shoulder to whisper something in his ear that had his expression falling into the more familiar, directorial one that the kids were used to.

Skye caught it and slid up to Coulson with a frown and her hands in her pockets. "What's up, DC?" she asked.

He let out a long sigh and ran his hand over his face. "Osborn is bombing District Four."


	47. Don't Give Scott Drugs

**Chapter 46: Don't Give Scott Drugs**

* * *

 _January 9_

 _District Three_

* * *

Since the beginning of the year, Osborn had been stepping up his attacks on the 'wayward' districts. The bombing in Four had just been part of a larger pattern — though they were lucky this time around. Shingen had shared with them the intel that the bombers were coming, and Coulson had sent out several of the kids that had flight training, as well as a few others, to help push back Osborn's assault.

There was a hangar at the far end of town for them to meet up, where Cho and Bruce, who had been working at Stark Industries since the end of the last war, helped to more or less direct things and get everyone off the ground as fast as they could.

By the time Bobbi, Quill, Sam, and Rhodey made it there on the second transport, Scott, Tony, and Clint had already prepped every plane they had for take off.

"We're not using the air traffic control tonight," Rhodey shouted, "So as soon as you're ready to move, get your bird in the air!"

The others shared a look and rushed to their respective aircrafts. Within a matter of minutes, they were all moving, the engines purring and taxiing out one after the other. Chatter over the radio from the manor sounded like controlled chaos in the background as Coulson gave them last-minute instructions while Agent May and Logan relayed the messages from the people on the ground in Three — both of them translating from Chinese and Japanese respectively.

"Radar shows bombers," Coulson told them. "Shoot them down if you can — but be prepared. I'd be surprised if they came without a patrol, and we have no idea how many Osborn is sending out. If our intel is right on the kinds of forces Osborn has been training, this could be bad. Expect the worst. Be careful out there."

"Alright, you heard him, guys — take out the bombers, and leave most of the dogfight to Sam if there's more than two or three patrol units. If we miss the bombers, we've lost more than just the battle," Scott's voice rang out over their lines. "We've probably got more experience, but let's try and keep those planes far enough out that Three doesn't get too badly hammered."

The group all murmured their assent as they checked in and started on their radar path. Before they had visual, the first wave of bombers started to drop their payload. Osborn's forces were still far enough out of the main body of the district, but that wouldn't last long, and the group of pilots had their hands full trying to keep them to the outskirts.

"Watch your angle of attack, Bobbi," Sam advised. "You're looking a little too steep; you're going to stall it."

"I've got it, Falcon; don't you worry about me," Bobbi replied. "I've got this bogey locked on target." Gunfire from Bobbi's craft echoed around their headsets, and seconds later, a massive mid-air explosion lit the night and the ground below — illuminating the district and the three waves of bombers behind the first.

"This is going to be a rough one, guys," Sam said quietly. "I'll take the fight to them; I'm ready to go fangs out. Been waitin' for this since Osborn won."

"I'm with you," Rhodey agreed. "Let's hit 'em hard." With that, Rhodey and Sam banked off and didn't have to wait long to engage, their tracers lighting the path between their planes and the escorts that were sent to protect the bombers.

Scott took the others in, their crosshairs locked onto the second wave of bombers, hoping to knock them into the ocean before they could do any further damage. As the fight got hotter, Scott was surprised at the lack of sass over the channels, considering who he had on his roster. Even Stark had managed to keep it professional and calm.

The second wave of bombers had all been shot down, but it was a clear split between the pilots and the ground as what sounded to Coulson like desperate chatter was picking up dramatically and both Logan and May were struggling to translate fast enough, both of them dropping back to just listening and giving the general picture instead of word for word like Coulson and Hill had asked for. "There are no ground troops yet, but the bombs they've slipped through…" May drifted off to give Coulson a significant look.

"We need to do better on this third wave, guys," Scott said over the comms. "We're letting them in too close."

"They've got some bite-sized ones that keep on trying to sneak past," Clint shot back.

"Well shoot 'em down," Scott told him. "Doesn't have to be perfect — just put a hole in them."

"Just hitting 'em's the thing, but I gotcha, boss," Clint said. "Just try and keep up."

"Will do, Hawkeye," Scott said with a grin before he checked his radar again and frowned as he realized there was a new player. "Guys, we got a new problem. I need someone fast to go check out that blip out of the northeast. Could be something we don't want near our allies, and it is moving _fast._ My bird isn't up for it."

Quill was quick to reply, "I got 'em. Try not to do all the heroics without me while I'm gone."

"10-4," Scott replied as they came up on the wave of escorts before the third wave. The dogfight that broke out was much bigger than the one with the second wave, and to Scott's dismay, it took all but one pilot to address the rogue fighters.

He hated to do it, but he radioed back to base: "We're doing our best, but I think we're going to end up with more than a couple slipping through. Be ready to evac if you have to. I don't want to hear about you guys getting blown up."

"Roger that," Jess and Bucky both called back.

"Gonna need some assistance here," Quill called out, and Clint was the quickest to respond.

"I see you; I'm headed your way."

Seconds later, they got the call over radio from Rhodey as he called out his mayday. "Took out a wing," he said. "Can't control the spin, Ejecting."

Shaking his head, Scott got on the radio again. "Ground support, see if you can keep eyes on where he goes down. This fight should only last a little while; this is the last wave." Then he turned his attention to Clint. "How's it going, Hawkeye? Is that a bomber or a support craft?"

Clint sounded frustrated over the line. "Bomber," he said without any of the usual fanfare. "Fast one, too. Can't quite pin 'im."

"Okay, guys, finish up with these bogeys — they're the distraction. We gotta stop that big guy," Scott instructed.

* * *

On the ground, their allies were trying to get their feet back under them. They'd gotten just far enough away from the Yashida compound before that last bomb hit to avoid getting shredded by the shrapnel, but a large part of their fortress was levelled.

They had one radio, and the message Yashida's men sent to Coulson's team was clear: Get rid of the bombers, or Yashida would be holding Coulson — and SHIELD — responsible.

* * *

The small group of pilots were doing a bang-up job, all things considered. There were just two bogeys left before that final wave — and the incoming fast bomber. As he looked over his options, Scott made his decision quickly.

"Hawkeye," he said, "I need you on these bogeys. You've got the angle on the fast ones. I'll handle that incoming bandit with Quill. The rest of you, keep that last wave of bombers from getting any closer."

"You got it; I'm on the stupid little darty ones," Clint said. "Careful, Scott — this one's a doozy."

It was clear as soon as Scott had the guy in his sights that Clint wasn't kidding. When Scott got his infrared on the bandit bomber, he realized quickly that this bird was faster and could take a turn on a dime better than anything they had in the air. He and Quill did their level best to slow it down, but… they were having a hard time getting a good line on it.

They were getting uncomfortably close to the base, and Scott was running out of options. With a frustrated growl, he shook his head and decided to do what he didn't want to do. "Keep him straight for me, Quill," he said. "I'm going to take a run at him."

"Woah, Scotty, bad idea," Stark broke over the radio. "That is not a great move; that's the kind of thing that gets you splattered."

"Gets the other guys splattered, too," Scott argued.

"I really think you've finally cracked," Stark argued back. "Starting to sound almost like—" But he bit his tongue. "I just … are you sure this is all you've got?"

"He's too quick to pin down," Scott explained, exasperated. "I'm too big to dodge — at least completely — if we do this right. And we can't let them get much closer." He gave Quill his count and veered off to make his approach. They all knew he had one shot.

Quill kept on the bomber, the plan to bank away as soon as Scott gave him the signal. Scott lined up and took the plane to speed, the engines vibrating slightly as he pushed it into the red zone. Just before he bailed, he called out to Quill and yanked the stick to the left, causing his plane to go into a spin.

He couldn't tell right away which way was up as the ejector propelled him away from the collision. He crossed his fingers that he wasn't at a bad angle, and he waited for the altimeter on the seat to pop the silk for him. When it did, he took the chance to look around him … and watched as the massive beast of a bomber lost altitude quickly, fuselage on fire, tail shredded.

Above him, the rest of his crew was cleaning up, still firing on the last wave of bombers — but at least the fight was almost over. He just hoped he'd done enough.

When he tried to radio his position, he was distressed to find that the radio was broken — likely he'd hit something on his way out of the jet. To make matters worse for him, he realized a bit too late that he was headed fast for a patch of rocks, with jagged edges all around him. He swore under his breath as he made his landing — and as the seat landed hard, he screamed out as his leg was pinned between the seat and the large, jagged boulders.

* * *

In Coulson's office, Logan took the last transmission from Yashida and looked as if it had been a personal insult. The very idea that SHIELD was being held responsible for something that Norman and his idiots were doing was reprehensible. Yashida _knew_ that SHIELD wasn't attached to them, but still … here he was with an earful of insults directed to Coulson and even Logan personally because of Norman's idiocy.

Logan made his way to meet up with Coulson, jaw clenched and ready to tell Coulson he was going to go in to the Capitol to deal with Norman _himself_. But Coulson beat him to the punch when he stepped into the office.

"I need you to do a recon," Coulson said. "And I need it now."

"I got a message from Yashida—"

"It's going to have to wait. Our pilots downed a nasty bomber, but Summers went down in the process. His beacon's not working, but the radio was. We think he might still be alive, but ... "

Logan watched Coulson as he let the statement fall, and after a moment, he held out his hand. "Gimmie the coordinates."

Coulson nodded as he handed them over. "I don't need to tell you we do _not_ need to lose a brand-new groom on his wedding night."

"Yeah, got it," Logan said, already moving out to go find Clara's idiot husband.

* * *

It was just past dawn when Logan found Scott trapped in the rocks and bleeding, and he radioed for an extraction with their coordinates as he climbed up to check on his old tribute.

"And you keep tellin' _me_ to be careful? You alright?" Logan asked as he looked at Scott's trapped leg. "I mean — aside from that mess?"

"I'm fine," Scott grumbled, clearly not in the mood. "Just help me get out."

"What do ya think I'm here for?" Logan shook his head and started moving rocks. "I just don't want you cryin' on me when I start movin' you. It's gonna hurt."

Scott looked down at his leg, then at Logan, and raised a single eyebrow. "No kidding."

Before Logan got started, he set down a medical pack and opened it up. "I gotta do this. If nothin' else so I can have a shot at keepin' you from bleedin' to death if it's bad. Unless you're in a rush."

"A little hustle on getting me out would be nice, but no rush otherwise," Scott said through his teeth. Logan nodded grimly before he pulled out the dose of morphine that medical had stuck in the pack. Just in case. He didn't ask permission or warn him before he jammed it into Scott's arm.

"How 'bout we give that a minute or two first," Logan suggested with a forced look of amusement. Scott looked murderous, but when he started to relax, it was clear that the time had come. Working quickly, Logan popped one claw and cut all the straps tying Scott into his chair and instructed Scott to wrap his arms around Logan's neck while he lifted him up. Even with the painkiller, it was very clear that Scott was in some serious pain.

Logan carried him out of the rocks and got him flat on the ground, then started working as quickly as humanly possible as Scott's eyes rolled in his head and he began mumbling all sorts of ridiculous things.

"You wanna quiet down, Slim? Be easier if you just … focused on somethin' else while I did this." He frowned deeper as he stabilized the wound, splinting Scott's leg as tightly as he was able. It was crystal clear that the leg was broken from the odd angle it had been resting at. "Probably a good thing you're not lookin' at this," Logan mumbled to himself. "You alright now?" He was watching for signs of shock, trying to get Scott to keep talking now that he didn't have to do anything else for him.

"I'll be _fine_ ," Scott said. "Just send me something in the arena so I remember _you're_ still breathing."

Logan stopped dead in his tracks and very slowly sat back on his heels. "Sure thing, Slim. What you want me to send?" Logan asked, curious as to where this was going to go.

"I'll need maps," Scott said seriously. "Get the lay of the land."

"You got it. On the way. What else?"

"Food, water… your face outta my face."

"If I'm not in your face, you won't know I'm watching," Logan replied, slightly amused by this turn of events.

"Don't need you watching. Got my own plan," Scott explained. "Just send me supplies."

"If I'm not watching, I won't know what to send. Gotta make sure you get what you need."

"Oh, right." Scott closed his eyes for a second. "That's unfortunate."

"It's alright. I got your back, Slim. Always do," Logan assured him. "Even when you piss me off."

"You're no picnic yourself," Scott shot back.

Logan smirked at that, though. It was the first bit of honesty he'd heard in a while from Scott, after all. "So I'm told," he said as he settled in and lit his last cigar. "But … I really don't want to see you get killed. If that makes any difference to you."

Scott let out something like a little laugh as he seemed to try and sit up a little better, trying to focus on the conversation. "Well then the Games must've been awful to watch; I got killed all the same. Not good."

"You did good though," Logan assured him. "Did the right thing. Went out a hero."

Scott grinned at that and nodded. "Seemed like something you'd do."

"Absolutely," Logan agreed quietly.

Scott leaned back and let out a sigh. "Sorry I couldn't finish it out. I was trying to get Kamala through — you could've taken care of her from there."

"You did better than I did," Logan told him.

"Yeah, that's a lie."

"It's really not," Logan countered. "You kept her close and kept her safe until you were out. You did better."

But Scott shook his head at Logan with an entirely serious expression. "Yeah, it's more than just the Games… trying to live up to it…" He shook his head. "I'm just the kid who came after the big damn hero."

"Don't know what you're talkin' about," Logan said, shaking his head this time. "The way it was painted, I wasn't anything close to a hero. More like a rabid animal."

"I know how they painted it," Scott said.

"They're not wrong," Logan said.

Scott shifted to try and see him better again. "How many times do I have to tell you something good before you believe me? How come you don't _listen_ until I'm mad and wrong?"

"Fine; you're right. But you're high. And hurt. So just relax; let it go. Please."

Scott leaned back with a little nod. "Damn right I'm right."

Logan took out his tablet and checked the progress of the incoming medical team. "You'll need more painkillers before they get here."

"That bad?" Scott asked.

"Yeah, it is," Logan admitted. "But you're not bleeding anymore, and your leg isn't turnin' stupid colors. I just don't want you in pain."

"I'm fine," Scott insisted.

"And convinced that you're always right," Logan muttered quietly.

"What's that?"

"Just agreeing with you."

"That's a change."

Logan had to laugh at that. "It's really not."

"No, you just agree when you were already on the same page as me," Scott pointed out. "Arguing with you is like yelling at a brick wall."

"You sure it's not the other way around, Slim?"

"Pretty darn." Scott shook his head lightly. "It's alright - you've been doing this longer. You're just stupid sometimes, and someone's got to call you out on it; might as well be me."

"It's in my file like that," Logan told him. "Don't have to call me on anything. I know."

"Well, there it is again. Agreeing on the negatives. Told you," Scott said with a triumphant smirk.

"Why don't you just try to rest up while we wait," Logan suggested. "You gotta be crashing soon."

"If it's all the same to you, I'll stick around til we're back with the others… if I close my eyes, you're gonna get in trouble or something, and you've got Daisy…"

"Sure, Slim. If you say so," Logan said. "How about you tell me about something else …"

"Like what?" Scott asked with a little frown.

"Pretty much anything other than telling me I'm wrong about everything. Favorite hobby aside, there's gotta be somethin' better to talk about."

"Didn't say you were wrong about _everything_. You were right on me and Clara," Scott pointed out.

"That was an easy call," Logan defended.

"So people keep telling me," Scott said with an easy smile as he leaned back. "She's gonna be so mad."

"Probably more mad the honeymoon got interrupted," Logan replied.

"Probably," Scott agreed. "Thought about waiting until after Osborn's out for that exact reason, but… wasn't worth it."

"You were right to go for it," Logan said, hoping that he'd take it as a compliment and just go with it.

Scott grinned. "Yeah, I was." He closed his eyes and let out a long breath. "I'll take her to the cabin… sooner or later. It'll need fixing up anyway with no one living in it for so long."

"If you need anything, just say the word."

"Yeah, I know," Scott said quietly. "Figured out you're on my side a while ago. Which is good. You're good."

"Try to be best," Logan tested.

"No, just good."

Logan broke into a grin and couldn't stop the chuckles. "This is where I disagree and we go back to fighting, I think."

"Okay, but I'm still right."

"I promise to let you think that," Logan told him as the transport made its presence known on the horizon. "And I promise to not tell anyone about this, alright? You were noble … and not at all drugged out." He was grinning, sure Scott would go along with that one.

"Exactly."

"Alright big guy — this is the part where we find out how good that morphine is holding out. Don't be a hard head. If it hurts, say so," Logan told him, then paused as he looked down at him. "Unless you want to be a dumbass like me. Then go ahead and tough it out."

Scott went quiet as the medics came in around them and Logan stepped back so they could stabilize him better. As they moved him, Scott's hand shot out to his leg, and Logan watched to see how he was going to handle it.

"Are you ready for another shot?" the medic asked.

Scott's jaw was clenched and his face was white, but he seemed to be wrestling with the question for a bit before he just nodded and leaned back. As soon as they were loaded on board, Logan leaned forward.

"Good call on the drugs, boss."

"Don't need your approval. I know I'm right."

"Don't need it, but you want it."

"Shut up, Logan," Scott said as his old mentor just started to laugh to himself.

* * *

Logan was still amused when they arrived at the small base in Three and Scott was unloaded, drugged up to his eyeballs and sounding so _sincere_ as he thanked the medics for taking care of him that Logan wished like hell he'd gotten it all on tape. But then—

"Hey!" Banner shouted out, his face twisted into a frown. Logan turned and watched him carefully. The expression that Bruce was wearing wasn't exactly the best of indicators on who was walking up to him just then.

"You alright?" Logan asked cautiously as Bruce approached, the frown on his face a little deeper than Logan liked to see.

"Not exactly, no. That plane that went down?" Bruce said, fire flashing in his eyes. "Was marked up all over the bombay doors with nuclear caution signs."

"They were gonna nuke em?" Logan asked with a frown.

But Banner's mouth became a bit more pinched. "I sure thought so, but … there was no radiation on board. Not even trace." He shook his head and opened his satchel. "But this? This … I have no idea what it is."

Logan measured Bruce up carefully before taking a glance at his cargo — a small canister marked with biological warning signs, though it looked undamaged. "Any thoughts on what it might be?" he asked, still on his guard.

"Need a lab to even begin to figure it out." Bruce shook his head. "Whatever survived at SI, we'll appropriate it."

"What do you want to do?" Logan asked, feeling very out of his depth.

"I'm … going to stay right here. I don't trust taking this back to where there are kids. Not with all the warnings and signage they had. Get me whoever I need to talk to around here to study this. I'm sure he can point me," Bruce instructed. Logan nodded and headed off to find Shingen, and it wasn't long before he found Coulson trying to talk to Shingen as they overlooked the medical wing where Scott and anyone else who'd been hurt were being attended to.

When they heard what the story was, Shingen wrote out the address for a facility, and Coulson went back to the hangar to talk to Bruce.

"Logan tells me you've found something interesting at the crash site," Coulson said mildly, but it was clear from the way he was frowning that his dander was up from the whole experience.

"Yes, sir." Bruce held up the canister. "I don't know what it is, but I'd like to get to work figuring it out. I don't think the lab facilities here are adequate, though."

Coulson held out his hand for the canister, examined it for just a moment, and then nodded. "Shingen knows a place — and we'll leave a couple of good scientists who could get the job done." He waved Bruce ahead and was already calling in coordinates. "Fitzsimmons had a lot of things to say, most of which went over my head, but I think it boils down to a mutual admiration and excitement to work with you again."

* * *

 _January 10_

 _SI Lab_

* * *

Tony had wasted no time in getting the lab set up so that he, Bruce, and Fitzsimmons could examine the compound that they'd found in the bomber Osborn had sent after them, and almost as soon as they arrived, the group of scientists burst into activity.

"Fitz," Simmons called out, "can you get the containment unit set up so we can safely examine what our friend here has brought for us?"

"On it," said Fitz, hurrying away into the lab.

"They seem right at home," Bruce said with a little smile.

Tony shrugged. "They _live_ in biotech labs," he pointed out.

"Bruce nodded and fidgeted a bit. "I don't suppose you might have a spot I could set up a workstation? Anywhere will do … I just … need a little space to myself. Makes it easier to think."

"Sure thing, big guy," Tony nodded. "There's a spot right over here; it was where I was keeping some of my old papers while I had a train of thought going. Cleared it out to make room for… well ... they were just taking up space anyway."

Bruce quickly crossed the room and started to set up a few things for himself, moving a few of the closest pieces of equipment and setting up his laptop, just so he could use his own equipment. He kept his satchel close, one hand resting over the canister.

When Fitz returned, he was carrying a clear sort of cube, which allowed someone to work with their hands without danger by reaching through the cube and also seemed to have a few other features: an enclosed microscope and an isolation chamber apart from the main unit.

"Does this lab have it's own ventilation system — you know, in case we make a mistake and … well ... set forth the next plague?" Fitz asked Tony, looking slightly nervous before Tony just waved airily.

"Of course it does."

SImmons nodded and put her hand on Fitz's shoulder. "Don't worry — we won't make any mistakes." She turned to the former Tahiti kids and grinned at them. "Fitz built this containment unit himself."

"It's gone through multiple upgrades as we've had access to new technologies," Fitz piped up helpfully. "It's top of the line. If there was a line. It's one-of-a-kind," he added hastily.

Simmons smiled widely at him as Bruce looked between the two and then hesitantly reached in his satchel. Her eyes lit up behind her goggles as she took in the canister, and she positively beamed at both Bruce and Fitz as Fitz carefully opened the unit so Bruce could place it inside, while Tony was already setting up scans and equipment.

Bruce looked up at them warily before very gently placing the canister inside the containment unit. They all seemed to hold their breath for a second until the unit was sealed, and Bruce's shoulders slumped visibly once it was safely contained.

"Right then," Simmons said, looking at the boys on either side of her. "Let's take a look, shall we?" She slid her hands through the multiple layers of gloves and began to turn the canister, looking occasionally to Bruce, who seemed to be on edge with her every movement. It didn't help matters when she opened the lid and there was a soft _pfft_ as whatever was inside instantly vaporized and fogged up the box with a red mist, though she couldn't help a delighted sort of "oh!" when it happened.

"That's what I was afraid might happen," Bruce muttered. "But it looks like your box held."

"Of course it held," said Fitz, sounding slightly miffed. "Didn't I tell you it would?"

"No offense," Bruce said, his eyebrows raised.

Simmons wasn't looking at either of them but had her eyes pressed to the microscope as she said, "Of course not. Fitz, you know he's well aware that you're a leader in your field." She seemed almost not to realize she was talking as she examined the gas in front of her.

"And if he forgot, you'd fix that right up," Tony muttered with a little smirk.

"Better not forget then," Bruce agreed, matching Tony's smirk, before turning back to Simmons. "You see anything yet? Any structural abnormalities that might give us an idea of what this is?"

She seemed a bit breathlessly delighted as she replied, "It's fascinating! It looks almost like some neurochemical agents I've seen before, but the structure of the gas… it's definitely been tampered with. If I could have an idea of what it was targeting, I could tell you more…. I'd have to run some tests to see what it reacts with, but once my preliminary scans come back, I'm sure that we'll find it's a neurotoxin. If my suspicions are right. Would you like a look?"

Bruce looked mildly surprised for a moment. "Sure — I mean, of course." She stepped to the, side and he leaned forward, furrowing his brow after a moment as he analyzed it. "How hard would it be to get a sample through a centrifuge? I'd like to run it through an atomic spectrometer if you have one. Take a look at the chemical structure a little closer."

"We have a centrifuge here in the lab," Stark said. "You just need to take a small sample and send it through the atomic spectrometer." He glanced around the vast lab with his hands in his pockets.

"Of course, I'd like to run a few tests myself," Simmons added. "Perhaps we'll find that some of the compounds here are strikingly similar to a few other neurotoxic agents we've run across… I'll want to do a structural comparison…"

"Some that you've run across or some that you've designed?" Bruce asked, much of the interest in the chemical gone for a moment. "I've seen some of SHIELD's work. Am I going to see a familiar pattern here?" His jaw was clenched the slightest as he asked.

"Oh, well." Simmons looked a bit taken aback. "Well, no. I meant it would be something to compare to what Ophelia Sarkissian had been playing with before her rightful demise." She tried for a little smile. "Fitz and I … well. You know we did a little tampering with some of the mutts during the Games, but... most of our work wasn't related to… that."

"Right." Bruce was turning his glasses over in his hands and frowning as he thought it over. "Let's ... start with the centrifuge, if that's alright."

With a beaming smile, Simmons motioned for him to take his sample, and it wasn't long before the two were quickly discussing notes in hushed tones as Fitz ran several diagnostic checks on the containment systems "just to be safe."

It wasn't until they'd moved on to testing on the rats that it got interesting. They carefully administered the tiniest of doses to one of the rats, and within seconds … it seemed to completely lose its mind and tear apart the other occupants of the cage.

"Oh ... this…. This is not good," Bruce said at a near whisper as he stared at the dropper in his gloved hand and very carefully set it down, holding his breath as he did so.

"It's interesting," Simmons said with that same delighted tone but with a frown carefully placed on her face. "I mean, Fitz and I have studied compounds to raise aggression levels on a few of the mutts — or lower them, in some cases — but this… this is on a completely different level. It's much faster, more targeted, and we've never gone from dormant to murderous that fast before."

"Why would you do that? Why … why would anyone do that?" Bruce asked with a look of disbelief on his face. "That's just … do you know what would have happened if that would have actually hit its mark? Do you know the kind of damage some of those people… kids … or … what _I_ could have done?" He was pacing. "It's barbaric."

"We… we never tested it on _people_ ," Simmons said in a slightly breathless, worried tone. "Only mutts… But this is far beyond... " She shook her head and squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. "Do you think we can counteract it?" she asked at last.

Bruce shook his head and looked doubtful. "I mean, we can try. But who knows how long it will take to get it right ... then tests on rats and monkeys ... and then we don't even know if it'll work the same on humans. So that means trying it on a person ... and who … who would we do that to? People don't _volunteer_ for that." He frowned at the monumental task ahead. But he was rambling already, thinking ten steps ahead. "We don't know how long it lasts — or long term effects. So we need to dose another one just so we can dissect it — see what it took to cross the blood brain barrier. And … I'll be honest. I'm not comfortable working around this compound. One slip ... one … one wrong move …"

"No problem, big guy. We'll do the heavy lifting if you're that nervous," Tony said with a grin.

"It should make _you_ nervous," Bruce said. "But … is there a way ... could you set me up in an adjacent lab? You run the hands-on tests and send me the data — maybe I can work on the serum to reverse it. Without risking... you know."

She nodded. "I'm sure we could arrange that. Coulson said when he sent you that this was top priority, so it shouldn't be too hard to…" She nodded again and seemed to expect Bruce to fill in the rest of that sentence for himself. "Yes, that's what we'll do."

* * *

 _January 11_

 _Howlett Manor_

* * *

As Scott had predicted (though he didn't fully remember doing it), Clara was a little miffed when the crew that had gone down to Three got in that night. Luckily, there weren't too many injuries. Rhodey had a pretty nice bruise from his own ejection, but that was the worst of it — and that just seemed to fuel Clara's annoyance when Scott rolled out, especially when Scott was still out of it. It took him all the way until the next morning before he was back on Planet Earth enough to know she was there.

"I can't believe this is what you get when you do everything _right,_ " Clara said with a scowl — though it was clear she was happy to see him.

Scott shook his head with an open sort of shrug. "That's just how it goes, sorry," he said.

"It's just so frustrating," she replied."If you want me to baby you, you really don't need to go to such lengths."

"Sure seems like I do that, huh?" he asked with a teasing smirk. "Would you believe it's not on purpose?"

"I would, actually," she said, shaking her head at him.

"I really am sorry, Clara," he told her honestly. "The timing was rotten, I know."

"Just … shut up," she said. "I already heard all about it. I know."

At that, though, Scott paused. "Ah… who from?"

"I asked Logan when you came in," she told him. "He said you did everything right and ended up with the short end of the stick."

"Did he tell you it worked?" Scott asked.

"He did," she admitted.

"Hank was telling me about the biochem in the bomber … I think last night," Scott said as he rubbed his forehead to try and clear up his memory of it.

"And he told me about your antibiotics and painkillers today," she told him with a smirk.

"Well, I can't speak to that. I'm not trained like you are," he said, matching her smirk.

"No, you're not. So don't fight me."

Scott gave her an open shrug. "Am I fighting you?"

"Don't get any slick ideas, mister."

"Clara, I am too tired to get slick ideas," he admitted with a little grin. "Maybe tomorrow."


	48. Angry Spider

**Chapter 48: Angry Spider**

* * *

 _January 14_

 _Howlett Manor_

* * *

Both David and Daisy were dead to the world asleep in the living room when Kurt poked his head in with Peter, and for a moment, the two boys glanced at each other with raised eyebrows. Coulson _had_ told them to meet there, but if the little ones were sleeping…

"Should we go somewhere else?" Peter whispered.

"Meeting is here," Skye told them. "So get your butts in here."

The boys shrugged and slipped inside as Kurt sat down next to Skye and looked over her shoulder at the sleeping little girl. "How long has she been out?" he asked.

"Not too long. Ten, fifteen minutes maybe?" she said, smirking down at the little one.

"And David?" Peter asked, gesturing to the toddler who was zonked out on Coulson's lap with one hand curled up on his neck.

"A little longer than that," Coulson replied quietly. "But we have one more to join us before we really get going."

"Not Kate?" Peter asked Kurt's way, but Kurt shook his head.

"No, she's not feeling well — and she wasn't asked anyway."

"It's for a mission, guys," Skye said, shaking her head. "Of course."

"Well that doesn't explain much," Peter teased.

"I'm joining you," she told him with a smile. "It's been murder sitting on the sidelines for this long."

Peter broke into a grin at that. "Hey, sounds fun!"

"Yes, fun is exactly what the main idea of this was," Logan said, shaking his head on the other side of Skye.

The last of their group arrived as Charles got there, pushing Scott ahead of him — and predictably, both of them grinned when they saw the sleeping little ones, especially David sleeping on Coulson's shoulder like a log.

"Well, now that everyone's here," Coulson said as Charles sat down beside him and briefly offered to take David, though Coulson just shook his head lightly and quietly. "We're not sending you anywhere too hot," he said, mostly Skye's way. "But Stark thinks he might have found one of the labs that worked on the biochemical weapon that bomber in Three was carrying, and we'd like to torch the place before they can make any more." He let out a sigh. "Of course, with a weapon like this, there's the risk of spreading it if we simply do a bombing run and send any samples airborn with the smoke, so we need boots on the ground for sabotage instead."

"What kind of sabotage?" Charles asked, frowning as he looked over the group that had been chosen for the job.

"They came up with an additive that will render the neurotoxin harmless," Coulson told the little group. "You just need to get it into their batch. No need to completely destroy it. Just put the chemical in the vats and leave a beacon for us to target. And get out so we _can_ bomb the facility."

"Sounds simple enough," Skye said, grinning.

"And… all four of you are going?" Scott asked with his head tipped to one side.

Skye nodded. "Yeah, I've been wanting to get back out into the field." She looked down at the little girl in her arms and then grinned up at Scott. "You wouldn't mind holding onto her while we're out, would you?"

Scott blinked at her. "Well, no, I don't mind, but…"

"But what? You heard DC — this is low risk," Skye said with a smile. "Just a way to stretch out." She made her way over to Scott with Daisy to tip her into his arms. "Besides. Good practice."

Scott very nearly did a double-take her way as he looked up between Daisy and the suggestive smirk Skye was flashing. "We … haven't even been married for a month yet," Scott said.

"So?" she countered. "Are you trying to say that we rushed into it? Look at her — does that look like a mistake of any kind?"

" _No_ ," he said, quickly and fervently. "No, she's perfect. I just…" He shook his head. "Both of you are going? Are you sure about this?"

"Whatcha worried about, Slim?" Logan asked with a little frown.

Scott let out a long breath. "You know I don't mind watching out for her. I just… don't want to do it permanently. I would. In a heartbeat. But… there's always a risk, and both of you at once is just..."

The two of them shared a look, and both of them couldn't help but smirk. "You're going to make a fine AD, Slim."

At that, Scott's worried look turned into a dry one. "Right. I'm just saying."

"Don't worry," Skye said as her smile returned in full force. "We'll return the favor one of these days."

"Further down the line," Scott said, shaking his head.

"Well, seeing as that's settled," Kurt said with a little smirk as he got to his feet. "Let's get going."

* * *

The closer they got to their drop point, the more Skye was grinning to herself — and admittedly a little nervous, since it _had_ been so long since she'd gone out in the field. Though the X-Force uniform still fit her nicely.

Peter, on the other hand, was considering the black and gunmetal with his head cocked to one side. "I dunno. This is so… Venom," he said.

"You can go naked if you prefer," Logan deadpanned. "Might make a distraction. Maybe."

"Might be better than being that Norman Osborn Blue Light Special Spidey," Peter shot back.

"I can't believe you're worried about how you're _dressed_ ," Logan said, shaking his head.

Peter made a face. "Listen, some of us have to put up with people besmirching our names and therefore can't just _kill them in the rigging in the Caribbean._ "

"You're right; I've never had anyone try to smear my name," Logan deadpanned. " _No_ idea what that's like."

"You know, Peter does have a point," Kurt said with a smirk. "You did have a pirate adventure just to kill your replacement from Osborn."

"And you're only siding with him because you didn't get to go," Logan pointed out.

"I never said otherwise," Kurt chuckled.

"You had the better deal," Logan promised. "All, what, three days curled up with your girl? And mine too, from time to time, I'm sure."

Kurt grinned at that. "Well, Kate did say that the turnabout was the best part, but I wouldn't say having the flu compares to fighting in the rigging _at all_."

"Looked like Petey was fighting the flu on the way _to_ the rigging," Logan said with a laugh.

"And on the way out," Peter grumbled.

"They didn't know there was going to be a freakin' _pirate adventure_ ," Skye laughed.

"Well, they should have," Kurt said, shaking his head with a mock look of consternation.

"Don't take it from him," Logan said quietly over her shoulder. "He needs a reason to be mad at me, and manufactured is the best he can come up with."

Skye just laughed and kissed his cheek. "Who could be mad at _you_?" she teased.

"Everyone, I think," he replied. "Sooner or later."

"Lies." She leaned over to kiss him again before she laughed. "Such terrible lies you tell me."

"Hey, hey now, didn't someone just get back in the field?" Peter pointed out. "Can you guys maybe not for five minutes?"

"Fine," Logan said. "But if you're going to bitch, we're going to start up in the rafters."

Kurt chuckled at that and shook his head. "Besides, Peter, isn't it your turn?" he had to tease.

"Um. That is not how this works?" Peter said.

"Do you need Clint to explain how it works?" Logan asked. "As I understand it, he's got a flowchart."

"Of course he does," Skye chuckled as Peter looked wide-eyed.

"Yeah, no, I'm good."

"Wade wanted to show you a movie, but I figure that's probably not so much educational …"

"Yeah, no. _I'm good_ ," Peter repeated.

"Give him a few months," Skye said quietly. "If he hasn't figured it out ... "

"Yeah, just… stop," Peter said, holding up his hands.

The others in the plane chuckled as Peter turned redder, though it wasn't much longer before they reached the edges of Five, where the lab was supposed to be.

"Shouldn't be too hard," Skye said, bumping Logan's shoulder with hers.

"We'll see," he replied, not accepting _anything_ at face value after most of the missions he'd run.

She smirked and gave him a quick kiss. "Careful — you're starting to sound like Scott," she couldn't help but tease.

"You don't gotta be _mean_ ," he countered with a little smirk as they began to angle their way to the proper entrance. The "proper" one being the one with the least guards.

"Alright, Fearless Leader," Peter said, grinning at Kurt. "Shall we get on with the property damage?"

"By all means," Kurt said. He glanced at the two guards at the smaller entrance. "Skye, would you do the honors?"

"You're just spoiling me. Not that I'm complaining," Skye said as she took her shot — two quick double taps in rapid succession, and both guards went down with no more noise than their bodies made as they hit the ground. Kurt raced forward and examined the door before rifling through one of the guards' pockets. He pulled out an access card and held it before a sensor next to the door. A red light switched to green, and the door slid open.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Kurt said, 'let's wreck their formula and break some stuff."

Peter was through the door in a second, a wide grin on his face as he rushed for the nearest electronic equipment, his plan already in place to destroy half the wiring and plunge some of the base into lockdown to stop too many reinforcements from getting there. Logan was close behind him, already on his way to "cause mayhem and explosions" as Peter put it, and when a small group of Osborn's soldiers came to investigate, Kurt dispatched them with icers easily.

"Hey. What happened to spoiling me?" Skye called out.

"You got to lead us out," Kurt called back. "Now you keep up."

"Oh, that's how it is, huh? Really?" she shouted before she shot a guard that Kurt had missed. "Lucky you I'm on top of things."

The group made their way through much of the base in a lighthearted mood that had Logan shaking his head. He couldn't believe that they were just being so blase about the whole thing. Not after all the stupid near misses and kidnappings they'd had. And almost as if the universe wanted to tell him he was right, the first real signs of trouble showed up.

Skye spotted the guard in the hazmat suit and put an icer in him fast, but when she called out what she'd seen, the change that came over the group was instant — no one wanted to get hit with that stuff. Not after hearing from Banner that it was likely the same stuff they'd used on the captive 'Avengers'.

Logan shifted his focus and called out through his earwig asking Skye where they were coming from, knowing full well if there was one hazmat joker, more would follow. "I'm gonna blow 'em up as they come in."

"No worries; I'll just keep icing 'em," Skye replied.

Logan looked over his shoulder. "Whadda ya think, Elf? Ready to blow their cargo?"

"More than ready. I already added the neutralizer," said Kurt. "Light them up."

"It's not a party unless I come too, right?" Peter joked as he caught up to them. "Besides, someone's got to look out for you guys."

"Don't get too close," Skye said "I got your backs, but… Try not to blow yourselves up, huh? Not to mention the ones without hazmat suits have the _worst_ breath ever." As she spoke, she put an icer in another guy as she worked her way through.

Peter looked nervously over at Kurt. "That's… Okay, I have a funny sort of feeling about this."

"How's your arm, Pete?" Logan asked as he jammed a detonator into a wad of C4.

"If you tell me where you want it, all I need to know is how high and how far," Peter said.

"I'm thinkin' that rat hole they're all comin' out of … see if you can whip it in there, and I'll hit the button."

Peter nodded and held his hand out for the C4, then looked very wide-eyed the entire time he was handling it as he lobbed it, with precision aim, where Logan had pointed. It had barely made it through the door when Logan hit the button and blasted the better part of the front wall down.

"Nice shot," Skye said appreciatively from her vantage point.

The boys were getting to their feet — Logan and Peter had already popped up, and Logan was pulling up Kurt — when Peter spotted the trouble.

"O-o-oh no," he said out loud, already moving to try and push Logan. "We do _not_ need him any angrier, thanks!" Peter hit Logan with surprising force — at least, it surprised both of them as Logan was knocked entirely off his feet — and Peter ended up exactly where Logan had been as the canister went off at his feet. Or … it would have been his feet if he'd been standing. Instead, Peter got a full face of the drug they'd been trying so hard to avoid.

Kurt just stood there a moment, wide-eyed as he stared at Pete, sure that it had to have been something else. Logan looked up from where Peter had knocked him aside in time to see Peter's face contort into a painful-looking scowl.

"Oh, no," Kurt whispered. "Pete—"

"Both of you — get away from him," Skye shouted in their ears. "What are you _doing_?" Kurt began to back away, and Logan inched backwards on the ground. Peter's rage-filled eyes turned to Kurt first as soldiers began to descend on Logan.

"Peter, no—" Kurt said, but Peter sprang at him, knocking him to the ground. As Kurt hit the ground, Peter landed a blow to Kurt's face and another to his ribs. Kurt got his arms in front of him and locked his hands around Peter's wrists, struggling to keep his friend off of him. "Peter!" he said, but Peter gave no indication he'd heard. He wrenched one of his arms free and scratched at Kurt's face, opening parallel stripes on Kurt's cheek.

"Skye!" Logan shouted out, "Can't you get these idiots off me? Shoot me if you have to."

"I'm _working_ on it," came the exasperated, slightly hysterical reply. "And I am not shooting you! They've got me pinned down — hold on. I'm not — I'm not _shooting_ any of you idiots if I can help it," she added, though it was clear she meant Peter.

When Kurt jerked in pain as Peter scratched at him, Peter freed his other wrist and grabbed Kurt by the shoulders, raising him a half a foot off the floor and slamming him back down. Kurt had the breath knocked out of him for the second time, before he had really even gotten it back. He knocked one of Peter's hands from his shoulders and rammed a hand into Peter's chest, but Peter barely reacted, reaching instead for Kurt's throat. He squeezed Kurt's windpipe, and Kurt choked as he tried to draw breath.

All at once, Logan found himself freed up as Skye finally caught up to the Hydra agents around him, icers out and firing rapidly — both of them. He rushed toward Kurt and Peter, running over everyone in his way. He couldn't see what kind of shape Kurt was in, but he'd never imagined that Peter could look like _that._ He dropped his shoulder and tackled Peter right off of Kurt, and instantly, Peter tried to scramble at Logan as he had done to Kurt.

He managed to land a hit on Logan's chest, but by that point, Logan was pretty ticked off himself. He dodged around Peter's wild blows before he hauled off and cracked him in the jaw with everything he had behind him.

Peter folded into a lump on the ground as Logan turned to Kurt. "Can you walk — or do you need a crutch?"

Kurt coughed a few times and nodded, giving Logan a thumbs-up with one hand and massaging his neck with the other.

"Then we better move our asses — those idiots are gearing up for round two," Logan said.

"I got round two. You get them out of there," Skye said, her voice rough. "I'll cover you."

Logan left Kurt long enough to sling Peter over his shoulder then offer his hand to Kurt, who hadn't quite gotten to his feet. Clearly, there were broken ribs at the least. "Not on your life, sweetheart. You better get moving yourself," Logan called out over the comm.

Kurt took Logan's hand and climbed to his feet, wincing and wrapping an arm around his chest. "Peter's got a wicked right hook," he mumbled.

"I saw," Logan replied. "I gave him one for you too."

"Thanks," Kurt said. "Couldn't get one in myself."

"Come on, boys. Let's get out of here a little quicker. I got the last of these guys, but I don't like the looks of round two," came Skye's voice over their earwigs. "Logan, light a fire under it."

"If I gotta carry one on each shoulder, I ain't makin' any promises on speed," Logan growled out.

"I can _walk_ ," Kurt defended.

"Yeah, well, they're runnin'," Logan countered. "Move it or I'm throwin' you up with Pete."

They set off at a run, with Kurt managing to keep the pace surprisingly well, though his face grew paler with every hallway they covered. His breath rattled slightly, but he didn't stop as they neared the exit.

"Holy crap," Skye muttered as she saw the state of the three of them, moving quickly to help give Kurt a crutch. "The next wave is all kinds of jerks in hazmat suits, but I got the beacon placed. As soon as we're clear, Clint will get the signal to level this place."

"Good," Kurt said with a rasp to his voice as he let her lead him toward the plane.

Once they were back in the plane, Skye rushed to get them in the air while Logan roughly restrained Peter. "He so much at sneers your way, I'm gonna hit him again," Logan warned Kurt as the plane started a vertical take off.

Once Peter was secured, Logan grabbed the supplies for Kurt and made sure he wasn't immediately dying before he gave him a shot of painkillers and strapped him into his seat. "Can't take you two anywhere," he muttered.

"Wouldn't want you to get bored," Kurt said with a tired smirk.

"I'm okay with a boring mission now and again, you know," Logan told him. "All the stupid ones have me thinkin' we've got every damn bit of intel wrong. Gettin' tired of it."

"That is just hurtful," Skye said with a pout.

"Yet somehow the heat is on _me_ when it blows up," Logan said, shaking his head. "And you're right there with 'em callin' me _bait_. Jeez."

"Yet which of us needs medical attention, _mein Freund_?" Kurt teased.

"You're gonna need more if you don't shut it," Logan warned. "Be a reasonable junkie and just pass out already."

Kurt chuckled as he leaned back and closed his eyes.

Once they got back to the manor, it didn't take long for Hank to get to work on Kurt and Peter, and initial reports from the lab testing where Bruce was still holed up studying the the biochemical weapon indicated that Peter should be back to normal once he woke up. But they were still watching him carefully, even as Kate, Skye,and Logan stayed close to Kurt so they could grin as he lost his fight with the Clara, who was assisting Hank.

Kurt scowled at them. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

"Yes. Very much," Logan replied with a grin.

Kurt winced as a medic probed his ribs. "Ow, yep, those are broken."

"Don't jump to conclusions, Elf. I'm sure there are _tests_." Logan said with a smirk. "Medically _necessary_ tests. The kind you keep telling me are so important."

Kurt sighed — and then winced again. He swallowed and rubbed his throat, which was starting to grow a few bruised spots. "Geez. Peter really went all out."

"Didn't think he had it in 'im, to be honest," Logan agreed, finally starting to lay off a bit.

Across the room, in another bed, Peter twitched and mumbled something. All eyes went to him, and Henry broke away from Kurt to check on Peter. As he neared, Peter's eyes fluttered, and he propped himself up on his elbows, scanning the room with bleary eyes. When he saw Kurt, all traces of grogginess vanished from Peter's face, and his mouth contorted in a snarl. He sprang from the bed, knocking aside Henry, who was almost to him, and made it straight for Kurt.

Skye, still wearing her sidearm from the mission, stepped in between them with a growled out, "Freeze," before she fired off a single shot that seemed to have little effect on him."I don't want to do this, Spidey. _Stand down,_ " she shouted, but when Peter headed for her, she shot him again, and that at least stunned him enough to give Logan a chance to get him pinned and for Hank to grab the sedation.

When they had Peter down, Hank brushed off his brow as he looked to the still-struggling but now restrained Spiderman. "That shouldn't have happened," he said with a frown as he waited for the sedation to take effect. "It should have worn off by now, based on the reports Misters Banner and Stark have been sending."

"Is it a stronger version or something?" Skye offered, still regarding Peter with her gun trained on him.

"It will wear off, right?" Kurt asked, leaning around Skye and watching Peter with a worried expression. "It's not… a permanent condition?"

"If it doesn't wear off, the brawls will be a lot more lively around here," Logan commented mildly.

"Don't _joke_ ," Kurt said, making a face at him.

"Hey. Banner's workin' on it. Just be a matter of time before he can reverse it anyhow," Logan defended.

Coulson arrived at last, and it was obvious to him when he arrived that he had missed the show. By the time he walked in the room, Peter was fully restrained and sedated so that they could work on his broken jaw.

"I need a full report on what … exactly happened here. Why is Parker restrained?" He was frowning in Peter's direction for a moment before he turned an accusatory glare toward the remaining campfire kids.

"Wasn't my fault," Logan insisted.

"He got hit with that stuff Osborn's been cooking up, and he tried to kill Kurt," Skye explained quickly. "So Logan stopped him. And then I also stopped him, just now when he woke up ready to kill him all over again."

"He just has it out for me, apparently," added Kurt, though he had a little smirk.

"And it hasn't worn off yet," Skye added. "Which Hank says is just wrong."

"Yes, it should have," Hank agreed. "But … perhaps it would be prudent to send him somewhere more secure than we have available here."

"I'll talk to Stark," Coulson said. "I'm sure he's got something in that lab of his that he doesn't mind getting thrashed if this doesn't wear off soon."

"He'll be alright, though, right? You can fix it so he won't try to kill Kurt?" Skye asked.

"I have a feeling that Mr. Parker will be back to himself in his own time — but if he needs assistance, Banner is working on the antidote. We'll figure this out; I promise."


	49. Angry and Angrier

**Chapter 49: Angry and Angrier**

Coulson looked out over the assembled group of victors. He'd been careful about who he chose, because he didn't have time to wait around for an answer, and he thought these seven were the best candidates, all other factors considered. Sam, Rhodey, Bobbi, Jess, Quill, Johnny, and America — they'd all put their necks on the line for the kids at some point or another.

"One of the kids was hit with Osborn's new bio weapon," he said, getting down to business the moment the room was settled.

"The psychosis one?" Sam asked.

"The very same," Coulson said. "And he's not reacting the way our boys in the lab say he should be reacting, which has us worried that it might be interacting with the Tahiti process we used to bring those kids back." He folded his hands in front of him and frowned at each of his victors. "I know you won't like what I'm about to ask you," he said slowly, "but it would be helpful to see a reaction with a healthy body, one that hasn't been through the process."

All the victors glanced at each other. "So you're asking us to volunteer?" asked Bobbi.

"It's not something I would order anyone into," Coulson said seriously. "It won't be nice, and you won't come out of it feeling like yourselves for some time."

"We're the only ones you're asking?" Quill asked.

"We can't ask any of the kids, not when they've all been through the program," Coulson said patiently. He glanced toward Bobbi. "I'm not sure I should be asking you — or Logan, which is why he isn't here — after everything that your bodies have been through as well. But you know more about bioweapons than anyone else here."

"And you know he'd be on it in a second if you brought it up to him," Jess said.

"Not to mention the claws might just pose a tiny problem as far as containment goes," Rhodey added.

"I'm just a little concerned that you're getting someone — any one of us — that's already trained for maximum damage to become even more violent. Coulson, I trust you, but that's insane," Jess concluded.

"You'll be in a controlled lab environment. Nothing should go wrong," Coulson said, then rubbed his forehead. "I know I'm asking a lot. I wouldn't ask if we didn't think it was a real concern. It still hasn't worn off from Peter Parker's system — and it should have by now."

Jess shook her head and crossed her arms as she took a step back. "There are a lot more strategic things I can be doing than sitting in a lab waiting for crazy to wear off."

"I'll do it," Sam said as he leaned forward.

Coulson leaned forward, trying not to look too relieved. "You're sure, Sam?"

"So long as it's gonna wear off. Won't be much use around here as a rage bird."

"Good. Thank you." Coulson stood. "Let's get you there now, while we can. It might be helpful for you to be there for Parker when he comes out, too. Someone who knows what it feels like."

* * *

Bruce was waiting when they arrived at the new lab. "Thanks for doing this, Sam. We need control data if we're going to figure out what's up with Peter."

"It's no problem," Sam replied easily. "He's a good kid. Doesn't deserve this nonsense."

Peter had arrived ahead of Sam at the lab and seemed to have shaken off the tranquilizers. He was relatively contained in the glass box at the end of the room, though he was stalking back and forth like a caged animal and seemed to hurl himself at the wall if anyone got too close.

Jemma Simmons followed Sam's line of sight and tried to give him an understanding smile. "Don't worry. We don't think you'll be that way as long as he is," she told him. "We've never seen it last this long before — and the tranquilizing agents wear off faster on him than we're expecting them to on you. We'll try to make this as painless as possible."

On that note, she cheerfully showed him to the hyperbaric room that he'd call home for the duration of the testing.

"Cozy," he remarked dryly.

"Just try and relax a bit," Simmons told him. "This won't take too long, and then we'll get you back out and in someplace more, well, like home." She closed him in and took a deep breath. "Alright. I'm going to expose you now — are you ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," Sam said. "Should I… I dunno, sit down or something?"

"If it makes you more comfortable." She watched him carefully as he elected to remain standing. "Okay. On three. One, two—"

A brief hiss echoed in the small room as the substance was released. Sam could feel a little bit of it, like a mist on his neck. Suddenly, his breath caught in his throat, and he coughed a few times, swaying slightly where he stood. "Was that—" The words died in his throat as a reddish filter seemed to fade into view. "I—" Then, the red grew deeper, blocking out everything in his field of vision, and he remembered nothing more.

" _Sam? How are you feeling?_ " Sam blinked a few times as the voice entered his ears. He was lying down in a new room. He groaned.

"Ow," he mumbled as a headache began pounding in his temple. He glanced over to find Jemma peering down at him. He climbed to his elbows and then sat up. "Got a killer headache. General aches all over. What did I do?"

"You tried very hard to break out of your room, and we tried just as hard to keep you from hurting yourself doing it," she explained, looking him over carefully. "Well, you're able to have a cogent conversation. I think you're back… unless you want to attack someone?"

"Nah. Unless you throw a few of Osborn's 'Avengers' at me. Might take a swing at them."

"Well, that's good." She smiled and looked a little relieved. "Peter's starting to come out of it, too — at last. We're going over the samples from each of you now to see if we can spot the differences, but… in the meantime, maybe you could talk to him? He's still a little groggy."

"Sure. Lead me to him."

She helped him carefully to stand and then led him to a different part of the lab, where they'd been holding Peter. Although Peter wasn't actively trying to kill anyone, he looked a bit dazed and frowned suspiciously at anyone who got too close.

"Hello, Peter," she said brightly. "Sam's going to stay with you, if that's okay." When Peter nodded after a while, Jemma smiled at Sam. "He's all yours."

Sam smiled back and sat across from Peter as Jemma left. "Hey, killer," he said to Peter. "How ya feeling?"

Peter frowned and rubbed at his head. "Pretty lousy," he said, though it was a bit hard for him to say it around his jaw after what Logan had done to it.

"Yeah, that stuff really does a number on you. It's no fun."

Peter regarded him carefully. "Did you get hit, too?" he asked. "Or… did I hit you?"

"They needed control data. Stuff wasn't wearing off you as fast as it should have, so I volunteered."

"You let them do it on purpose?" Peter looked wide-eyed. "That's… _why_?"

"Coulson asked some of the victors. I stepped up. We haven't been through Tahiti; they figured that might be why you took so long to snap out of it. And you're alright. Didn't want to let you struggle through it on your own," said Sam with a shrug. "Newlywed and all."

"That's… thanks." Peter sighed and rubbed absently at his jaw again. "Um. Do you know… I was with my team before…. Did anyone get hurt?"

"You did a number on Wagner. Concussion, ribs, bruised windpipe. But he was conscious when he came in, so it can't have been too bad."

Peter winced and then looked down at his hands. "I, uh, didn't know I had it in me," he said, looking back up at Sam with a weak smile. "So… did you try to kill anyone?"

"They were pretty scientific. Locked me in a little room by myself. I did try pretty hard to get out, apparently."

"Oh good." Peter nodded carefully. "I don't think it'd be good if we put more people in medical." He was rubbing at his head again. "So who stopped me?"

"Logan. You can thank him for your jaw when we get back."

"So he didn't get hit, too?" Peter's gaze brightened. "Good. That's what I was going for."

"You were the only one who got hit in that fight," Sam confirmed.

"Good." He frowned. "Starting to hurt more the less hazy it gets."

"Yeah. I'm sure they can give you something. Don't think they wanted to mess with you coming out of it. Did you get the red haze when you first got hit?"

Peter nodded. "That was weird. I don't really remember anything, though." His frown deepened, and then he shook his head. "So… well, at least maybe now that we're lab rats, they can help it be less awful next time, right? That's the plan? Tell me there's a plan, because I don't like being a science experiment."

Sam nodded. "Bruce has been here since you all got back from that mission. They've got better equipment here, and they're studying it to see why it does what it does — and try to work up a cure in the event that there is a next time."

"Sorry you got sucked up in it, then," Peter said. "But… thanks for sticking around. It's nice to wake up with a fellow lab rat."

"That was the plan," Sam said with a teasing smirk.

"So, what's the plan now?" Peter asked.

"Ah," Sam hedged, looking toward the lab. "Believe it or not, they didn't tell me that part."

It took a moment, but finally, Fitz popped over with a grin. "You two can come on out now if you want," he said. "As far as we can tell, you're both clean."

Simmons nodded. "Peter, it looks like you had more of it in your system than we anticipated Osborn's scientists using."

"Well ... face full of canister," Peter said. "I'm sure that's not the normal dosage rate for a boy my size. Maybe if I was much much taller..."

Simmons smirked and nodded. "You got a lungful as well, which is harder to disperse," she said. "It's a contact poison, but getting it in your own organs..."

"That sounds bad. That was bad, wasn't it? I don't think I should do that again..."

"Yes, I'd appreciate it if you didn't," Simmons agreed. "I don't want to see you in my lab again, if you please."

"I will agree to your terms, madame," he said with a nod. "So … until your wedding then, yes?"

"Unless we decide to forsake this place," she teased.

"Which is never gonna happen," Fitz chimed in. "The toys are _too_ fun."

"Well ... as long as you get yourselves married, I'm sure we can deal with the rest of this nonsense," Sam said with an easy smile.

"That's still the plan," Simmons said, looking slightly pink.

Peter stepped out of the controlled booth and wiped his hands off on his pants as he looked around the lab. "Alright… well.. This has been nice, guys and gals, but I just got married recently, and I'd like to see her again."

"Coulson said he's sending May now," Fitz told them. "So you'll have to wait a bit for your ride. Sorry, not sorry."

"That's alright," Sam said as he leaned back. "We didn't know how long this would take, right?"

"Right, exactly," Simmons said. "But none of that matters _now._ "

"Right, because no more Murder Spider," Peter said with a self-conscious little laugh.

"That's what you get for trying to look like Venom," Tony called out from the other side of the room. "Did it to yourself."

" _Not_ my idea!" Peter shot back. "I _told_ Logan…!"

"Didn't realize Logan was picking out your pj's for you, Spidey. Does he tuck you in too?"

Peter stuck his tongue out at Tony. "It was the Line," he complained. "It's supposed to be for stealthy missions, but I miss the red and blue."

"I'm sure if you tell Noh he made you look like Venom, he'll change it," Sam laughed.

"Oh, for sure," Tony chuckled. "Now come on; let's get you back home to your little wife, huh?"

* * *

 _January 17_

 _Howlett Manor_

* * *

Skye was grinning more than usual when Peter and Gwen came in to breakfast that morning; there was no particular reason for it that they could see. Few people were up, and Logan — as usual at that time — was just holding and very quietly talking to a happy, cooing Daisy while he watched the news out of the corner of his eye and the couple had coffee.

The news sounded particularly glum to start with: the usual, small explosions, uprisings that were being handled by Osborn's secret police force, things of that nature. Nothing that really caught either spider's attention.

But as Peter focused on the story Trish was talking about — concerning the previous election — Gwen very nearly dropped her mug. "Oh my God, when did she start doing _that_?"

Peter glanced over to see what was going on — distracted from Trish's broadcast about election tampering — and had to grin himself when he saw what was happening just a few chairs away.

Logan and Daisy were almost nose to nose as the little girl was grinning widely for just a couple seconds at a time before she'd let out a squeal. "She's been doing that for a couple days; she gets mad if he won't play with her," Skye said, grinning in spite of herself. "It … is really cute."

"It's _amazing_ ," Gwen said in a voice that clearly said this was just too much to handle.

"Wanna try it?" Logan asked, looking her way for a moment as Daisy slipped from her squeal into a coo.

Gwen looked even more wide-eyed than before, then fell into a giggle. "Do you think she'll do it for me?"

"One way to find out," he said, shifting the way he was holding her so Gwen could come and give it a try.

Gwen made her way over quickly and gently took the little girl, who stared up at her while she got situated, but when Gwen started to follow Skye and Logan's instructions, Daisy got very serious watching her — until their noses were about half an inch apart.

The tiny girl gasped — and then squealed very high and long. She worked her mouth into a smile slowly that ended with her giggling and reaching for Gwen's cheek. "You are… just… perfect," Gwen said, laughing herself as she kept playing with Daisy.

Next to her, and completely unseen by Gwen, Logan picked up his coffee mug and just stared at Peter for a long moment with a troublemaking look as he took a long sip. Peter shook his head at Logan and pretended very hard that he was more interested in the news broadcast than what was going on. And, actually, Trish was talking about the election results and the independent investigation… " _The initial findings show that there was tampering for about 30% of all machines…"_

"Hey, lookit that," Peter said, trying to direct Logan's attention toward the TV. "They're finally catching up."

"Takes some longer'n others," Logan replied completely casually.

Peter rolled his eyes Logan's way and grabbed the remote to turn up the broadcast, where Trish was talking about the ongoing investigation as it wasn't clear what this meant now that Osborn was in office anyway, that sort of thing.

Though that too was derailed when Gwen scooted closer to him with a grin. "Peter, watch this," she said with a grin as she rubbed her nose against Daisy's and both of them giggled.

Peter couldn't help but grin — because Gwen was grinning, and it really _was_ cute. "What did we do for entertainment before Daisy?" he teased.

"Shoot bad guys," Skye said, splitting her attention between the little one's giggles and the news story.

"And cause property damage," Peter agreed.

"And you did that already this month," she said. "How's the liquid diet coming, by the way?"

"Still not sorry," Logan muttered.

"I'm still convinced you were trying to get me wired full-on shut," Peter grumbled.

"If I'd have hit you anywhere else, I could have killed you," Logan said with a laugh. "Just tried to knock you out without causing permanent damage."

"Which I very much appreciate," Gwen said, looking up from Daisy with a smile as she seemed to finally notice the broadcast. "Oh, I hope they _do_ something about it," she said with a little pout.

"Give them time," Skye said as she finally retrieved a sleepy looking Daisy — just to hand back to Logan. "All that bureaucracy needs to be dealt with. Red tape, proof that it's not corrupted by either side … it'll come out."

"I am _so_ not patient enough for that," Gwen grumbled light-heartedly before she grinned over at Peter and tugged on his arm. "Come on; we were going to go skate on the pond with Kitty and Peter."

"Yes, do that," Logan said as he and Daisy headed for the stairs. "Then you can warm up later."

Peter flushed, and Gwen laughed as she took his hand. "See you around!" she called out to Logan, still grinning as she and Peter went to go gather their coats and gloves for a day on the ice.


	50. The Architect of His Own Downfall

**Chapter 50: The Architect of His Own Downfall**

* * *

 _January 30_

 _Howlett Estate_

* * *

After all the data Fitzsimmons and Bruce had gathered from Peter and Sam, it was easier to pinpoint where Norman Osborn was conducting his research and where his labs would be. They just had to look at what he needed to _make_ the bioweapons, not to mention what kind of containment he would need to have in place, and they could find the most likely places for lab work.

Bobbi and Jessica Jones were a stellar team together, too. Bobbi had the know-how to pinpoint the right biological and chemical materials, and Jessica was turning out to be one of the most reliable detectives in SHIELD, able to track down shipments and troop movement with an ease that had already left her turning down Coulson's offer to join SHIELD when this was all over at least three times.

But it was a great way for the kids to feel like they were finally making some headway, too. After Peter had been hit with the gas, they were taking things pretty personally, and blowing up labs definitely felt _good_.

They were starting to feel like they had Norman on the ropes, too. He was almost obsessing over his weapons creation, to the point where he was starting to neglect public appearances as he tried to salvage his work before the teams of former tributes and victors could get to it. By all appearances, he was starting to crack — and that only made them want to work faster.

Of course, that also meant that the teams going out were kind of… fluid. With Kate benched and half the mansion in love with Daisy… and with the other half in and out of medical for required decontamination after every lab visit… each newly-discovered location was handled more or less on the basis of who was available.

Which was how Clint, Noh, and Peter ended up on a team together to go infiltrate Bobbi and Jessica's latest find.

"So, what do you think?" Clint said, carelessly twirling an arrow between his fingers. "Want to bet we can get every single one of these labs cleaned out before the last wedding — give Fitzsimmons a honeymoon present of _getting out of the lab_?"

"You know they'd probably see that as a punishment, right?" Peter pointed out. "Being forced out of their lab?"

"They are so weird," Clint said, making a face.

"Oh yeah, because you and yours are so normal," Peter replied, shaking his head as they got close to the drop point.

"Normal's boring," Clint said with a shrug.

"I think I would prefer a little boredom after this nonstop fighting," Noh pointed out lightly. "It seems there's not a moment when someone is not trying to poison, brainwash, subdue, or kill us."

"Don't worry; we'll figure something out so you and Jubilee can get into making little mini-stylists," Clint teased, slapping Noh on the shoulder.

"I know you're joking, but that is actually the plan," Noh said with a smile of his own.

"Oh, well then we'd better kick it into high gear," Clint said as seriously as he could when he was grinning obscenely.

Peter shook his head at both of them as they got to the drop point, though he wisely chose to stay out of the conversation — still remembering the _look_ Logan had been giving him every time Gwen played with Daisy. He wasn't touching that. He was too smart.

Thankfully, the conversation died off once they hit the ground running — out of necessity, really. Norman had been stepping up his security to an almost paranoid level… to the point where some of his own guards were bearing the consequences of a system that was as overzealous as it was. Not that any of the kids coming from the Howlett Estate would complain if Norman wanted to do their jobs for them.

This particular lab was hidden deep in District One, probably thanks to whatever arrangement Norman had with Fisk. Which meant the guards were a little better trained than the usual grunts… but it also meant that Clint had a particular axe to grind taking them all down, so it kind of balanced out.

"When we're done with Norman, I swear I'm going to take a year with Nat and just wipe out everything Fisk has his hands in," Clint muttered.

"Weird honeymoon plans, but okay," Peter said, which had Noh snorting outright.

"At least I'm not Scott," Clint pointed out. " _I_ didn't break my leg and end up hospitalized the same day as my wedding."

"No, but you _did_ more or less have a shotgun wedding after you could barely even talk to her for forever, so I feel like the scales were balanced, somehow," Peter said.

"If you say so," Clint said with an easy shrug before he turned his attention to picking the lock to get them inside.

Once they were in, Noh couldn't help but frown when he saw the tanks marked with biohazard signs as well as the containment units for testing — usually on captured "enemies" of Norman's. Anyone who spoke out against him. Even though he was back to fighting with his friends, he still couldn't help being creeped out when he was reminded of being used as a test dummy for Norman's gases.

So at first, he thought he was just reliving an old memory when he heard Norman Osborn's voice.

But the others paused, too, and Peter held up a hand. "Wait," he said under his breath — and all three of them crept forward quietly to peer around the corner.

And, yep, there was Osborn, standing in the middle of the lab giving orders to a few men in lab coats. He looked even more frazzled than usual, his perfectly-kept hair now in scrunched-up messes where he had been almost pulling it out with stress, the lines in his face obvious... and something in his gaze that looked… off.

Peter couldn't help but frown when he saw it. Even if Osborn was totally nuts, the guy _had_ been his mentor… And he hated to think that anyone was beyond saving, really.

"I don't care," Norman was shouting at someone as the boys arrived. "They have to be hiding somewhere, and if I have to smoke them out of every single district, I will!"

The three operatives shared a look at that, eyebrows raised high. "Nice to know he cares, I guess," Clint quipped, though he was already pulling an arrow out of his quiver.

"Careful of the tanks," Noh said in a whisper.

"Not my first rodeo," Clint whispered back before he let the arrow loose, pinning Norman right between the shoulder blades while his back was turned. It would have been an even more damaging shot if Norman wasn't so paranoid that he was wearing a bulletproof vest everywhere he went, too.

Instead, it only incensed Norman, who spun around and all but screeched, "Kill them!" in the general direction the arrow had come from.

Clint swore under his breath as the three of them scrambled to defend themselves. "Always take the head shot, Barton," he cursed himself. "Nat would _so_ be on my case right now about trying to make a dramatic entrance."

"Were you?" Noh asked, both guns in hand and a determined sort of look on his face.

"Actually, it's still easier for me to take the shot on him if I don't look him in the face," Clint admitted. "I'm not going to attack anyone on our side or anything, but there's still a little resistance if I don't think of it as shooting a test dummy instead of Norman."

"Well, focus on the guards, and we'll take care of Normykins," Peter suggested. "No reason for you to get too twisted on top of everything else."

Clint gave Peter a two-fingered salute and veered off with two quivers full of arrows to deal damage, which left Peter and Noh to nod at each other and then circle around, coming at Norman from different angles so it would be harder for him to avoid them.

Norman narrowed his eyes at both of them, though he seemed to focus on Peter after a moment's indecision of who he was the angriest at. "Come to play, Spiderman?" he asked in nearly a cackle that had the hair on Peter's arms raising.

Peter shrugged lightly. "Hey, this place gets a failing grade from your friendly neighborhood safety inspectors," he said carelessly. "I mean, just look at it. It's an accident waiting to happen!"

"Then maybe you should be more careful," Norman said, reaching into his pocket to pull out something with a blinking light — and Peter just barely dived out of the way before the small explosive went off, shaking canisters and cracking glass audibly in a way that had the men in lab coats sharing nervous glances and starting to head for the exits.

Peter rolled to his feet and held his hands up. "Woah, careful yourself," he said. "Take your toys outside, Norman. You're going to break more than me with that kind of firepower in this place!" As he spoke, he looked toward Noh, who nodded and hurriedly started to work, switching from helping Peter hem in Norman to trying to get the neutralizing agent dispersed as fast as he could. After all, if they got hit with that gas, it wasn't going to matter what other damage they did. They could do too much the other way.

Peter nodded to himself and then focused on Norman, frowning when he saw his old mentor reaching once again into his pocket. "Okay, that has to stop," he said to himself before he rushed forward and tackled Norman to the ground — and the blinking little explosive rolled out of Norman's hand, exploding in a bank of equipment not far from where Clint was.

"What's the matter, Peter?" Norman asked, his face twisted into a scowl. "Afraid to let loose?"

"Trust me on this: you really don't want me to," Peter said, his own eyes narrowed as he grappled with Norman. Just like before, on the Raft, he found himself having to really work to get leverage, especially when Norman was so enraged.

"Oho, voice of experience?" Norman asked, sounding a little too delighted for Peter's tastes. "And I missed it!"

"And I'm fine now, so let's not have a repeat, alright? You do _not_ want me to do that to you," Peter insisted.

"We'll see, won't we?" Norman cackled, managing to get an elbow in Peter's ribs that forced all the breath out of his lungs and gave them some distance so he could try again with one more grenade.

"What, do you have an endless supply?" Peter asked, exasperated, as he webbed the grenade to Norman's hand to keep him from throwing it. "No grenades in the house! How many times!"

Norman let out a sound of pure anger and frustration, but instead of going after Peter, he lashed out to slam his hand against the nearest solid object, trying to dislodge the webbing. "Gonna paint the lab red," he was almost singing with every hit.

Peter's eyes widened, and he took a step back. "Norman…" he said slowly, wincing with every hit the tank of gas took. "Hey! _Osborn!_ " he shouted when that wasn't working. "Cut it out!"

But Norman wasn't listening, and a moment later, the tank bent enough to puncture, spewing the gas directly into Norman's face — not entirely unlike what had happened to Peter. Norman let out a sort of strangled sound as he brought both hands (and one webbed grenade) up to his face, and when the gas had run itself out, Peter took a hesitant step forward.

"Norman?"

Norman paused for just a moment — and then turned toward Peter, all rage and very little else in his gaze. It was a totally different experience seeing it from that side, and Peter found himself taking a slight step back.

"Okay. Okay, take a deep breath, Norm—"

But as soon as Peter started talking, Norman's expression twisted again, and he launched himself at Peter. Only this time, there wasn't as much taunting and strategy as there had been before: this was just an honest attempt to beat Peter to death, aided by a very sticky and heavy grenade-hand.

"Guys! Help!" Peter called out as he scrambled to push back against Norman, barely keeping the heavy grenade away from his face, only for Norman to kick him hard enough that Peter was gasping again. He responded with a few hard punches of his own that cracked when they hit and probably would have left Norman reeling if he'd been in his right mind, but since he was still high on that angry juice stuff, it barely left a dent.

"Can't get a solid shot," Clint called back to Peter. "You're both moving too much."

"Yeah, that's on purpose!" Peter called back, his voice a higher pitch than normal.

"Hang in, Pete; we'll just—" Clint cut himself off as a few of Osborn's thugs arrived. "Aw, crap."

Peter almost groaned, but he was too busy dealing with Norman, especially when Norman managed to get his free hand underneath Peter's chin to press against his windpipe, his eyes still wide as if he was both terrified and angry at the same time.

Just like when Kurt had been trying to fight back Peter, the disadvantage was clearly to the person who hadn't been dosed: Norman wasn't showing any sign that he even felt Peter's blows, whereas Peter was struggling just to get a breath, scrambling to get a grip on Norman. He _was_ getting in good shots that would definitely put Norman in the hospital after this, but Norman just… wasn't _feeling_ them enough to _stop_.

Peter was starting to get desperate, though with Norman pinning him down, he finally got a little relief when Clint shot an arrow into Norman's side at a weak point in his armor — though again, Norman wasn't feeling it. And it still wasn't a kill shot.

Peter was starting to see spots, and in desperation, he grabbed the arrow to yank it out of Norman's side, jamming it somewhere he hoped would do more damage. He couldn't see entirely clearly, but he was aiming generally for Norman's neck, not sure he had the strength to get through Norman's thick head…

All at once, the pressure on Peter's throat let up as Norman slipped sideways, and Peter gasped in grateful gulps of air, pushing himself to his knees and sucking in oxygen for a long moment before he even considered looking over at Norman to see what the damage was.

When he did look over, though, he had to wince and look away again. Norman's eyes were still wide, but he was bleeding with an arrow in his throat. His mouth opened and closed a few times; he couldn't get air. And that… Peter had to look away. He couldn't watch that.

There was an echoing twang and a dull thud, and this time, when Peter looked up again, Norman had a hole in his forehead. So at least he wasn't struggling to breathe anymore.

Noh was still taking care of neutralizing the toxins, so Clint got to Peter fast, crouching down beside him to look him over. He'd taken a pretty serious beating on top of the attempted choke-out. "Okay, you need to get fixed up pronto," Clint said, shaking his head as he helped Peter to his feet — and Peter could see now that the men in the lab were all dead with arrows or gunshot wounds to blame. "Noh, get it in gear!"

"Almost done," Noh called back, dropping the last of the neutralizing agent into some equipment before he dusted off his hands, paused, and then shot Norman twice in the chest as he passed. "Just to be sure he doesn't make a miraculous recovery," he said mildly.

Clint smirked at that before he jerked his head to indicate that Noh should join him, and the two boys took an arm apiece to help Peter back to the transport, wincing in sympathy with him the whole way — not that either of them had gotten out completely unscathed, either.

They were quiet until Clint got them in the air, with Noh doing what he could to help Peter with the first aid kit they had on board, but when Clint finally went for the radio, he paused. "So, what do you think is appropriate when reporting the assassination of the man who would be king?" he asked. "Last time I was part of something like this, it was a lot more… public."

"That's a good point," Noh said thoughtfully. "How do we tell the country their president is dead without causing panic?"

"Let's start with telling Coulson," Clint decided, firing up the radio to report in, still feeling a little dazed himself, since, well, all things considered, he hadn't been expecting… this. "Hey, so… we have a small… situation? Not small. But… what's the protocol, exactly, for if we accidentally found Norman in his lab and sort of stuck him with webbing, arrows, and a few gunshots?" He paused. "He's dead. By the way. If that wasn't clear."

There was a long beat of shocked silence on Coulson's end before he finally responded, "Get back here now. All of you."

"Yeah, we weren't planning to stick around," Clint promised. "Pete got pretty messed up, so he's going to need attention. Preferably Daisy and Gwen — seeing as the Goblin's gone and he can get started on retirement, right?"

Peter gave Clint a look that Clint didn't have to turn around to feel. "Shut up, Clint."

"Like you don't wanna," Clint sang out, clearly riding the high of the whole mission — which, of course, simply prompted the other two to ignore him for the rest of the flight back to Seven.

They had a pretty big welcome back, too, considering the news they'd reported. Coulson wanted the details for a debrief, and Maria Hill was already in a whirl of motion working on mobilizing a team to go to the Capitol, since she _was_ , after all, the rightfully-elected president when the election tampering was taken out of the equation. But the other kids wanted in on the excitement too — thrilled to know that Norman was gone and curious as to how it had gone down. It really had come out of nowhere, and the relief was _palpable_.

And, of course, Clint was more than willing to tell the story right there for everyone, while Peter was getting seen to and Noh was just happy to go find Jubilee, which had Clint chuckling about the "mini-stylists" on the way that neither Noh nor Jubilee even _tried_ to say weren't on the horizon.

"And they'll be the best-dressed babies in all of Marvel!" Jubilee called over her shoulder to Clint, who laughed outright.

"Have fun!" he called out to them before he turned back to Coulson, who was shaking his head at Clint's antics. "What? War's over, right? We cut the badly-coifed head off the snake!"

Coulson shook his head at Clint. "There's still a lot that needs doing. We have to make sure no one else tries to take his place—"

"I thought that's what the election was for!" Clint pointed out. "I'm _not_ going through all that again!"

"Skye is already talking to Trish," Coulson assured him. "But in the meantime, I'm going to need a full account from all three of you for official release, and I'm going to want all three of you to lie low until we get through this transition. I'm not taking any chances at a revenge strike."

"Like I said: retirement," Clint said.

Natasha shook her head and reached over to rest her hand on Clint's arm. "You're going to have to stop doing that."

Clint grinned at her crookedly. "Nah. If President Hill gets up and running and things go as smooth as Coulson says, everyone's probably set to go their separate ways. I've got to get in the teasing while I still can."

Natasha shook her head at him and then leaned in to whisper something in his ear that took him by so much surprise he literally faltered a step before he broke into the widest grin she had ever seen him wear. "Seriously?"

"Do you need me to make you a chart to explain to you how that works?" Natasha asked with an unreadable expression — save for the tiny smirk pulling at the corner of her mouth.

"Clearly not," Clint said, then pulled her into a long and lingering kiss that got a few wolf whistles from the gathered crowd. "I've told you I love you, right?"

"Not today."

"Well, I do," Clint said, stealing another long kiss. "Come on. Let's get this debriefing over with so we can get to the de-brief-ing."

"You're ridiculous. Did you hit your head? Again?"

"No, but I put an arrow through Norman's, so I'm in a good mood," Clint said, still stealing kisses the whole way to Coulson's office.


	51. Epilogue

**Notes: Well, it's been a years-long journey, starting way back when we were first invited to be part of the multi-writer universe and went off on our own little tangent, but here we are. It's kind of bittersweet to say goodbye, and yet at the same time, there's something so satisfying about seeing all the good fiction we wrote together out for the world to see.**

* * *

 **Epilogue**

* * *

 _Ten Years Later_

 _In the Capitol_

* * *

The sign outside the door said "Director Skye Howlett," but even down the hall, anyone at the new SHIELD offices in the Capitol knew that there was nothing _official_ happening in the office, not when the squeals and screams of delight were echoing as loudly as they were.

This always happened, of course, when Hunter brought the kids to come see their mom at work, and somehow, Bobbi always managed to find her way to the director's office (or assistant director's, since Scott could always be relied upon to have something for the kids to play with when he was in the office too).

"I swear, SHIELD turned into a daycare while my back was turned," Hunter chuckled as he watched the youngest kids — his and Bobbi's little June and Skye and Logan's James — running around in circles while Daisy exasperatedly tried to tell her mom that she didn't _want_ to be stuck with the little kids and couldn't she _please_ go see Grampa Phil instead since her sister was playing with Grandma May?

"Why don't you go find your father," Skye suggested. "He's in the training room. Just make sure to knock first. You know the rules."

"Yes!" Daisy exclaimed, punching her fist in the air. "He was supposed to get some new wannabe special ops guys, right?"

Bobbi grinned at that. "Okay, now I want to come," she said, offering Daisy her hand. "Come on. Let's teach the boys a thing or two."

"Dad _loves_ it when I help," Daisy said, grinning at her.

"He loves it when big tough guys get their butts kicked by little girls," Bobbi agreed, grinning as the two of them headed down the hall together.

"Have fun! Keep a tally of how many you make cry!" Hunter called after them. "I have money riding on that!"

"Of course you do!" Bobbi laughed over her shoulder, shaking her head at his antics before they disappeared around the corner, down a floor, and into the training area, where Logan was already looking like he was ready to hand out a few life lessons

"You girls come to watch or teach?" Logan asked with a muted smirk. "Got a few remedial students already."

Daisy's sharp gaze traveled over the group before it landed on a blond in the corner, and she nodded to herself. "Just thought we'd drop by," she said with a _wicked_ smile her father's way.

"What about you, Bob?" Logan asked. "Wanna show 'em what the science division can do?"

"Oh, I'm always up to help," Bobbi said. "But I don't know… I've been stuck behind a desk…" Her eyes were twinkling with laughter. "...in a lab."

Logan met her gaze and nodded. "No pressure," Logan said in a gentle tone. "Just don't hurt your _hands._ "

"There is no way that I'm fighting a _kid_ ," the blonde guy in the corner said as Daisy came to a stop in front of him, already cracking her knuckles.

"Your funeral," Logan said, turning away from them as Bobbi found her mark, too.

"I'm sure he'll go easy on her," Bobbi said carelessly as she tapped the redhead on the shoulder, and he turned her way. "What do you think? Show me how rusty I am?" she asked.

The guy paused and then smirked hard. "Might even learn something, sweetheart," he said — which really just sealed his fate, even if he didn't know it.

"Everyone else, pair off," Logan called out, waiting to see how everyone got going. The blonde _again_ looked as if this was a supreme insult — though his tune changed fast when Daisy jumped the gun and took the guy out at the knees. A second later, as Logan and Bobbi mildly watched, the little girl had already twisted his arm behind his back and disarmed him. "Start when you're ready." Logan tipped his chin up at the blond Daisy was twisting up. "You weren't ready."

"I was going easy," the guy spit out.

"Sure you were," Logan said, then shifted his focus to Daisy. "You heard him. Quit with the kid gloves."

"But he isn't _ready_ ," Daisy said sweetly.

"He thinks he's a tough guy. So … see how tough he is."

"Okay," Daisy said as if this was an imposition, letting the blond back up — only to immediately take him down the second he made a move for her, dodging his first strike and using his momentum against him to trip him up. Once he was off-balance, she hit him in the stomach, then climbed his back and pinned him to the floor with both hands behind him and her foot at the base of his skull.

Bobbi turned and smirked at the redhead she'd picked out, but he quickly held up his hands. "Nope. I'm outclassed. I'm here to learn," he said.

"Come on, Bob, everyone's fighting. I know you didn't stretch yet, but come on," Logan called out.

Bobbi smirked at her partner. "I'll go easy. Promise," she said, though when even with kid gloves on, he ended up flipped over her shoulder; the guy really didn't feel like she'd kept that promise when all was said and done.

Which was how the class continued, too … Bobbi and Daisy would back off when they needed a breather, switching from attacking to simply _stopping_ their partners, even after they switched several times. And even by the end of that first session, it was clear that at least half a dozen of these so-called elite fighters were rethinking continuing their attempt to go after the more specialized training. Even if they could have consoled themselves with the fact that Logan had been teaching Daisy how to fight since she was old enough to know how… the fact that she was _ten_ outweighed that consideration.

But those that were paired up with Logan ended up the worst off, of course. He would purposely help the ones that seemed to be decent, genuine people — only to annihilate anyone that he had a bad feeling about. Which looked to the recruits as if there was simply no rhyme or reason to it.

By the end of it, the recruits were sore — but the girls were both grinning — and as the recruits filed out, Daisy bounded over to jump up and throw her arms around Logan's neck in a hug. "I love when you let me do that!" she gushed.

"It's probably my favorite thing to watch," Bobbi laughed as she went to get a towel and water bottle.

Logan had picked Daisy up as much as he could; she was already nearly as tall as he was. "It's good for you," he said before he kissed the side of her head. "You too, Bob."

Bobbi smiled outright. "Hey, Hunter doesn't appreciate being a training dummy as much as he used to. Something about being a stay-at-home-dad doesn't seem to agree with rigorous training?" She waved her hand. "I told him he's nuts."

"You oughta send 'im to Charlie," Logan said. "That don't track."

She laughed and nodded before she came over to give Logan a brief hug too. "Well, we'll see him at the big Christmas party in a little bit anyway. I'm sure Charles will have something to say. He always does."

"He's really been working up to something," Logan told her.

"We'd all be fending him off with sticks if Scott hadn't asked him to head up that little project of his," Bobbi said with a smile. "That man needs to be surrounded by kids, apparently."

Logan shrugged at that. "It was too damn much room just for us anyhow. The staff woulda been miserable without things the way they turned out."

"Well, I think it's great," Bobbi said. "Victors have to look out for each other, and as much as Charles thinks he's the one doing the most looking out, I'm glad we found a way to take care of him too, get him doing something he loves." With that, she broke into a smile Daisy's way. "What do you say: last one to your mom's office has to listen to Erik's stories this year?"

"No way," Daisy said before she darted ahead of Bobbi. "That's all for you!"

* * *

 _District Seven_

* * *

Most of the people that Scott had roped into his project turning the Howlett Estate into a home for orphans and a school of sorts had opted to keep living on the estate. Ororo, Remy, Betsy, Kitty… most of them were comfortable there. But Kate and Kurt liked the little place Logan had given them when they got married, so they stayed out there — and simply made the commute to the estate during the week so Kurt could instill a love of books and the arts in the kids and Kate could teach archery.

Of course, by that point, their oldest, CJ, was old enough to take classes, so he had stopped looking at the trips as ways to get Mrs. Hopkins to spoil him (which she did anyway) and more as _chores_ to go to _school_ … unless Daisy was there. Then it was the best idea ever.

Daisy was the one who had started calling him CJ, too. Kate had wanted to call their little boy 'Clint' just because of all the work she'd put into getting Clint to talk … and then when it got too confusing, they'd tossed around how to work up a Clint Junior nickname of sorts. And when little Daisy had heard "CJ" tossed in there, she positively _latched onto it_ , so that was what it had to be, apparently.

And they'd been best friends ever since.

So once the holiday season came around, CJ was counting down the days to Christmas, when Skye and Logan would come back from the Capitol and stick around for a few months. (Scott and Skye had a great system worked out, really: they traded off who was in the "office" in the Capitol and who was in District Seven so that neither of them got so absorbed in the job they couldn't spend time with family.)

Kurt had their youngest, Anna, on his shoulders, and Kate was laughing as she rushed to keep up with CJ in the snow. "They're going to be there whether you run or not," Kate called after him. "You're going to be too tired to build a snowman with her!" When that didn't work, she shook her head and turned to face Kurt. "I blame you for this. He's head over heels for her, and I know it's your fault somehow."

Kurt laughed outright as he held up both hands. "Oh yes. Because I'm the only one of his parents to fall so hard in love so fast."

Kate pointed at him with narrowed eyes. "It's a good thing you're cute or I'd have to hit you with a snowball."

"Das not nice, Mama," Anna giggled. "No hitting!"

Kate let out a breath, but it was hard to argue, especially since 'no hitting' was her own rule that she repeated often with two rowdy kids. So, she huffed and turned on her heel, leaving Kurt chuckling to himself as he headed up to the estate with his little family.

The first people they saw weren't actually the Howletts, though, but the Parkers, who had just gotten in from District Eight with Kamala and Miles, all four of them chatting easily as they kicked the snow off their boots.

"Hey, look — it's my favorite spider!" Kate called out as she and Kurt came over with wide smiles and hugs all around — though they had to be careful of Gwen and her very obvious baby bump. "And a half-grown spider too," she teased.

"Great to see you too, Kate," Gwen said with a smile as Peter and Kurt shared an embrace. "We almost decided not to come this year, but then we thought, well, I'm not due for three more weeks, so it's probably safe. Either that or Hank gets to double-check and make sure he remembers where all the medical stuff is stashed here."

"You still won't tell me if it's a boy or girl?" Kate asked with a pout.

"We still don't _know_ ," Gwen laughed. "I think it's a girl; he thinks it's a girl… but my dad thinks it's a boy for all the trouble he's giving us getting his picture taken!"

"Shame you don't have the help of stylist genes," Kate teased. "To hear Noh tell it, all three of theirs _posed_ for their pictures."

"Sounds about right," Gwen laughed. "But you should really talk to Kamala. She and Miles are making serious life plans—"

"I already know about the wedding," Kate laughed.

"No, _after_ the wedding!" Gwen said, shaking her head.

Kate raised both eyebrows, a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth as she made her way over to Kamala and bumped shoulders with her friend. "Hey, what's this about big plans? Do I have to get all the good gossip _secondhand_ from Gwen?"

Kamala glanced over to where Gwen was doing her best impression of innocence and then laughed. "Well, I was going to tell everyone at the party, but I got a little too excited and let it slip on the flight out," she said, looking embarrassed by the slip but encouraged when Kate nodded along enthusiastically. "But, well, Maria Hill isn't running again, and I thought maybe someone from outside the Capitol like me might have a shot?"

Kate blinked at Kamala and then broke into a delighted laugh and spun her around in a hug. "Okay, not only do I think that is the best idea ever? But I will actually actively campaign for you, and you know I _hate_ that."

"What would you hate now?" Logan asked just before James went zipping past to try and tackle CJ, who hadn't _quite_ gotten away from his sister yet. "Doesn't sound like you."

Kate beamed at Logan — and then laughed when Kurt told James that he had the right idea and rushed over to tackle Logan in a hug too. And once the men were on the ground, she grinned down at them. "I told Kamala I'd campaign for her. And you know that's just… I just don't do that."

"You lookin' for backing?" Logan asked with one eyebrow raised Kamala's way.

Kamala blushed high on her cheeks. "I… haven't even announced yet," she said. "I was going to tell everyone at the party before I do anything official…"

"Well, let me know when you do; I'll be there."

At that, both Kamala and Miles looked like their eyes would bulge right out. "Really?" Kamala breathed out.

"Sure," Logan said just before he and Kurt ended up going into an impromptu wrestling match — just because they were being obnoxious.

Kate shook her head but couldn't help but laugh at them as she put her arm around Kamala's shoulders. "You're going to be amazing," she promised. "Seriously. Marvel will be _lucky_ to have you running things."

"Like there was ever any doubt," Scott said with a smirk as he and Clara came to join the group in the entryway. "I'm impressed you guys made it inside this time. Usually, the wrestling starts in the driveway," he teased, tipping his head toward Logan and Kurt.

"I was runnin' late," Logan said before he got a hold of Kurt's arm.

"He was letting me and Daisy play with some new recruits," Bobbi said with a warm smile. "Daisy wiped the floor with them, didn't you, Daisy?"

"They were totally asking for it," Daisy agreed.

"They usually are," said a new voice as the last of the visitors showed up, with Natasha smirking at Daisy before she snatched her up in a hug… and Clint dragged in a pair of redheaded twins who had been engaged in quite the whitewashing fight until that moment.

"Ooh, you would have _loved it_ ," Daisy said, snuggling in. "The first guy I beat up was over six feet tall!" She tipped her chin down and pulled back just enough so that she was nose to nose with Natasha. "And he was one of _those_ guys, too."

"He won't make it a month," Logan said.

"It's a good thing SHIELD has such a vigorous vetting process now," Clint said with a smirk. "That's why me and Nat are freelancers. We'd never make it."

"And you don't want me to twist _you_ into a pretzel," Logan said.

Clint shrugged. "Hey, we get enough exercise chasing Fisk's goons, keeping wannabe Hydra off people's backs… I'm fine not testing my pretzel abilities for the rest of my life, thanks."

"Coward," Logan muttered before he let Kurt go — and the two of them pulled each other upright.

"Well, the dinner's already set when you guys are," Scott said, gesturing over his shoulder. "The staff went all-out, as usual."

"Oh good," Gwen said, resting her hand on her stomach significantly, which had Skye laughing and pulled her toward the dining room with promises to 'help'.

As the group started to move toward the dining room, Logan reached out to take a hold of Kamala's arm. "Hey. I mean it. If you want me to back you, you've got it. If you don't … well, I get that too," Logan told her.

Kamala blinked at him and then threw her arms around his shoulders in a hug. "You're the best. That would be amazing. Yes, please. I don't even know what to say!" she gushed.

Logan hugged her back until she lightened up her grip. "Just gotta say when and where, you know that. You're gonna win, too."

"I hope so," she said, smiling at him as she took a step back. "After all the work we put into Marvel? I just want to make sure it stays this good. I _like_ the peace and quiet."


End file.
